Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county
located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
, in the United States
. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the 99th largest of 361 MSAs
in the U.S. The city of Lancaster
is the county seat
.
Locally, Lancaster is pronounced ˈlæŋkɨstər , unlike the city in England
for which it was named.
Lancaster County is a popular tourist destination, due mostly to the many plain sect residents, known as the Amish
or Pennsylvania Dutch
. The term Pennsylvania Dutch comes from the earlier use of Dutch to apply to all immigrants from Europe speaking German. They are the descendants of German
s (Deutsch) who immigrated in the 18th and 19th centuries for the freedom of religion
offered by William Penn
, and were attracted by the rich soil and mild climate of the area. Freedom from poverty and political uncertainty also was a major factor. Also attracted to promises of religious freedom, French Huguenots
fleeing religious persecution
with significant numbers of English, Welsh and Scots-Irish settled this area in 1710.
's 1681 charter, and John Kennerly received the first recorded deed from Penn in 1691. Although Matthias Kreider was said to have been in the area as early as 1691, there is no evidence that anyone actually settled in Lancaster County before 1710.
Lancaster County was part of Chester County, Pennsylvania
until May 10, 1729, when it became the fourth county in the state. Lancaster County was named after the city of Lancaster
in the county of Lancashire
in England, the native home of John Wright, one of the early settler
s. Six other counties were subsequently formed from territory directly taken, in all or in part, from Lancaster County: Berks
(1752), Cumberland
(1750), Dauphin
(1785), Lebanon
(1813), Northumberland
(1772), and York
(1749). Many other counties were in turn formed from these six.
, Susquehannock
, Gawanese, Lenape
(or Delaware), and Nanticoke peoples.
Among the earliest recorded inhabitants of the Susquehanna River
valley
were the Iroquoian
-speaking Susquehannock
s, whose name meant "people of the muddy river" in Algonquian
. They were also known as the Conestoga
, from their principal village
, Kanestoge, known to the English as Indiantown. They were viewed by European settlers as a friendly tribe, converted to Christianity
, who made brooms and baskets for sale, and named children after their favorite neighbors.
However, the outbreak of Pontiac's War in the summer of 1763, coupled with the conciliatory but militarily ineffective policies of the provincial government, aroused in some suspicion and hatred against all Indians
in the frontier counties of the state. On December 14, 1763, the Paxton Boys
, led by Matthew Smith and Capt. Lazarus Stewart
, descended upon the village, slaughtered the six Indians present at the time, and burned their houses. The fourteen survivors of the tribe were placed in protective custody in the county jail, but the Paxton Boys returned on December 27, broke into the jail, and butchered the remaining Conestogas. The lack of effective government control and widespread sympathy in the frontier counties for the murderers rendered their discovery and arrest futile.
The southern boundary of Pennsylvania, and thus of Lancaster County, was in dispute for years
, culminating in nine years of armed clashes during the Maryland-Pennsylvania boundary dispute beginning with the 1730 establishment of Wright's Ferry
across the Susquehanna River
. Lord Baltimore
believed that his grant to Maryland extended to the 40th parallel – about halfway between Lancaster and the town of Willow Street, PA
, which line of demarcation, would have put Philadelphia in Maryland.
Spurred by a sudden influx of settlers crossing the Susquehanna and the licensing and formal beginning of the Wright's Ferry
ferry
services early in the year, acting on behalf of Maryland as a henchman of Lord Baltimore
, Thomas Cresap starting in mid-1730, began confiscating the newly settled farms near Peach Bottom
and Columbia, Pennsylvania
(thenunnamed, but soon would be called "Wright's Ferry"), for the question from Lord Baltimore, was who was to get the income from the lands. He had believed he had a defensible claim on the west bank of the Susquehanna since 1721, that his demesne and grant extended to forty degrees north. That could be jeopardized if Pennsylvanians settled his lands without adverse reaction, and a counter claim to settlements.
Captain Cresap's initial actions were innocuous, establishing a second ferry in the upper Conejohela down river from John Wright's
but near his father-in-laws settlement at Peach Bottom, and demanding settlers either move out or pay Maryland for the right bank lands they'd already received from Pennsylvania, but here events soon got out of hand, blew up, and soon started Cresap's War
by acting on behalf of Maryland as a henchman of Lord Baltimore
confiscating farms near Peach Bottom
and Wrightsville
, establishing a second ferry there. He started vandalizing farms, killing livestock and driving away settlers in southern York and Lancaster counties, giving those lands to his followers. When a follower was arrested, the Marylanders broke him out of the Lancaster lockup.
Lord Baltimore negotiated a compromise in 1733, but Cresap ignored it, and continued his raids. When an attempt was made to arrest him in 1734, he killed a deputy at his door. The Pennsylvania governor demanded Maryland arrest Cresap for murder; the Maryland governor named him a captain in their militia instead. In 1736, he was finally arrested, and jailed until 1737 when the King intervened. In 1750, a court decided that Lord Baltimore had forfeited his rights to a twenty-mile (32 km) swath of land. The new Pennsylvania-Maryland border was properly established by the Mason-Dixon line
in 1767.
and Lampeter
), three had Native American names (Cocalico
, Conestoga
and Peshtank or Paxton), six were English (Warwick
, Lancaster
, Martic
, Sadsbury
, Salisbury
and Hempfield
); four were Irish (Donegal
, Drumore
, Derry
, and Leacock
), Manheim
was German, Lebanon
came from the Bible, and Earl
the anglicization of the German surname of Graf or Groff.
, a Democrat
, was elected as the 15th President of the United States
in 1856, the only Pennsylvanian to hold the presidency. His home, Wheatland
, is now a museum in Lancaster. Thaddeus Stevens
, the noted Radical Republican, served Lancaster County in the United States House of Representatives
from 1849–1853 and from 1859 until his death in 1868. Stevens left a $50,000 bequest to start an orphanage that eventually became the state-owned Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
. Both men are buried in Lancaster.
slavery in 1780, although in a slow manner. The existing 6000 slaves in Pennsylvania remained slaves, and the registered children of those slaves were slaves until their 28th birthday. The last slave child registered in Pennsylvania was Haley, born in 1811, and a freedman no later than 1839. Thus Pennsylvania was legally a free state when the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
was passed as part of the Compromise of 1850
.
Being immediately north of the Mason-Dixon line, Lancaster County was an important stop on the Underground Railway
. Charles Spotts found 17 stations, including ones with trap doors, hidden vaults, an underground cave and one with a brick tunnel leading to Octorara Creek.
Edward Gorsuch, probably one of the least cruel, did not beat his slaves, and as a wealthy Maryland wheat
farmer, he could afford to manumit
slaves in their 20s. He allowed his slaves to work for cash elsewhere during the slow season. There was wheat missing, though, sold to a local farmer by his slaves, and he thought a former slave was responsible for this dishonesty. As he had a bad temper, slaves Noah Buley, Nelson Ford, George Ford, and Joshua Hammond became afraid, and fled to the farm of William Parker
, a mulatto who lived in Christiana, Pennsylvania
. Parker, 29, was a member of the Lancaster Black Self-Protection Society, and known to use violence to defend himself and the slaves who sought refuge in the area.
Gorsuch obtained four warrants, and organized four parties which set out separately to recover his property. He died in the attempt, though, and others were wounded. Although Gorsuch was legally entitled to recover his slaves, it is not clear who precipitated the violence. The incident was variously called the "Christiana Riot", "Christiana Resistance", the "Christiana Outrage", and the "Christiana Tragedy".
In September, 1851, the grand jury
returned a "true bill" (indictment
) against 38 individuals who were then held in Moyamensing Prison
in Philadelphia to await trial. The only one who was ever tried was Castner Hanway.
It is not clear that Castner Hanway was responsible in any way for what happened. He was a white man, one of the first on the scene. Hanway and his horse provided cover for Joshua Gorsuch and Dr. Pearce, who were wounded. Hanway was tried in federal court in Philadelphia on November 15, 1851 for liberating slaves taken into custody by U.S. Marshal Kline, for resisting arrest, for conspiracy, and for treason. The jury returned a Not Guilty verdict in 15 minutes. Among the five defense lawyers was congressman Thaddeus Stevens
.
Bishop Hans Herr
, built in 1719. In 1989, Donald Kraybill
counted 37 distinct religious bodies/organizations, with 289 congregations and 41,600 baptized members, among the plain sects who are descendants of the Anabaptist
Mennonite immigrants to Lancaster County. The Mennonite Central Committee in Akron
is often among the first to arrive at a disaster scene, quietly providing manpower and material to local organizations that better understand where relief should be directed.
The town of Lititz was originally planned as a closed community founded by members of the Moravian Church early in the 1740s. The town eventually grew and welcomed its neighbors. The Moravian Church established Linden Hall School for Girls in 1746, it is one of the earliest educational institutions in continuous operation in the United States.
In addition to the Ephrata Cloister
, the United Brethren in Christ and the Evangelical United Brethren (EUB) trace their beginnings to a 1767 meeting at the Isaac Long barn, near the hamlet of Oregon, in West Lampeter Township
. The EUB, a German Methodist church, merged with the traditionally English Methodist church to become the United Methodist Church
in 1968,
The first Jewish resident was Isaac Miranda , who owned property there before the town and county were organized in 1730. Ten years later there were several Jewish families in the town; on Feb. 3, 1747, there was recorded a deed to Isaac Nunus Ricus (Henriques) and Joseph Simon, conveying 0.5 acres (2,023.4 m²) of land "in trust for the society of Jews settled in and about Lancaster," to be used as a place of burial. Today, this cemetery is still in use by, and is considered the fourth oldest Jewish cemetery in America.
Today, Lancaster County is home to three synagogues, the Orthodox Degel Israel, the Conservative Beth El, and the Reform Shaarai Shomayim. Chabad Lubavitch also has a Jewish Center that focuses on serving the Jewish students of Franklin and Marshall College as well serving the general community with certain religious services. The larger community enjoys a Jewish Community Center which hosts a preschool, and a catering hall. The Lancaster Mikvah Association runs a mikveh on Degel Israe's property. Central PA Kosher Stand is operated at Dutch Wonderland
, a seasonal amusement park.
This area was also settled by French Huguenots. Among its very first resident was Isaac LeFevre, who with a group of other Huguenot's settled in the area of the Pequea Creek.
control the vast majority of state, county and municipal elected offices in Lancaster County.
s Pat Toomey
(R) and Bob Casey, Jr.
(D), and by U.S. Congressman Joe Pitts (R) of Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district
.
State Senators Lloyd Smucker 13th District, Michael W. Brubaker 36th District, and Mike Folmer
, 48th District
are all Republican.
With the exception of P. Michael Sturla 96th District, a Democrat, all local state Representatives
are Republican: Thomas C. Creighton 37th District, Katie True 41st District, Scott W. Boyd 43rd District, John C. Bear 97th District, David S. Hickernell 98th District, Gordon Denlinger
99th District and Bryan Cutler 100th District.
With the exception of County Commissioner Craig Lehman and Jury Commissioner Judith A. Saylor, who are both Democrats
, all county officials are members of the Republican Party
. The other county officials are County Commissioners Dennis Stuckey and Scott Martin, Coroner
Dr. Stephen Diamantoni, Sheriff
Terry A. Bergman, Recorder of Deeds Bonnie Bowman, Register of Wills Mary Ann Gerber, Clerk of Common Pleas Court Ryan Aument
, Treasurer
Craig Ebersole, Prothonotary
Randall O. Wenger, Controller
Keith Greiner, and Jury Commissioner Diane Collier.
drainage basin
, via the Susquehanna River
watershed (the exception is a small unnamed tributary of the West Branch of Brandywine Creek that rises in eastern Salisbury Township and is part of the Delaware River
watershed). The major stream
s in the county (with percent area drained) are: Conestoga River
and Little Conestoga Creek
(31.42%); Pequea Creek
(15.02%); Chiques Creek
(or Chickies Creek, 12.07%); Cocalico Creek
(11.25%); Octoraro Creek
(10.74%); and Conowingo Creek
(3.73%).
, located on 224 acres (90.6 ha) overlooking the Susquehanna River
in Drumore Township
. One of the three tracts comprising William Penn State Forest, the 10 acres (4 ha) Cornwall fire tower site, is located in northern Penn Township
near the Lebanon County border. The site, with its 1923 fire tower, was acquired by the state in January, 1935.
There are also six Pennsylvania State Game Lands
for hunting
, trapping
, and fishing
located in Lancaster County. They are numbers (with location and area): 46 (near Hopeland
, 5035 acres (2,037.6 ha)), 52 (near Morgantown, 1447 acres (585.6 ha)), 136 (near Kirkwood, 91 acres (36.8 ha)), 156 (near Poplar Grove, 4537 acres (1,836.1 ha)), 220 (near Reinholds, 96 acres (38.8 ha)), and 288 (near Martic Forge, 89 acres (36 ha)).
The southern border of Lancaster county has some protected serpentine barrens, a rare ecosystem where toxic metals in the soil inhibit the growth of plants and lead to the formation of natural grassland
and savanna
. These barrens include the New Texas Serpentine Barrens, privately owned land managed by The Nature Conservancy
, and Rock Springs Nature Preserve, a publicly accessible preserve with hiking trails owned and managed by the Lancaster County Conservancy.
along the east coast of the North America
. As such, residual seismic activity from ancient faulting occasionally produces minor earthquakes of magnitude 3 to 4. For example, on December 27, 2008, shortly after midnight, Lancaster County had a 3.3 magnitude earthquake which was widely felt in the Susquehanna Valley but caused no damage to structures.
, to the northeast by Berks County
, and to the east by Chester County
(the southeastern boundary with Chester County is formed by Octoraro Creek
). To the south are Cecil
and Harford Counties
, Maryland
(across the Mason-Dixon line
). To the west is York County
(the boundary is the western shore of the Susquehanna River
). To the northwest is Dauphin County
(the boundary is formed by Conewago Creek
).
, later part of the Lincoln Highway
, in 1794, a canal in 1820 and the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad in 1834.
Highways
Lancaster County's highways include the Pennsylvania Turnpike
(or Interstate 76
), U.S. Route 30
(or the Lincoln Highway
), U.S. Route 222, and U.S. Route 322
. Pennsylvania State Routes in the county include: 10
, 23
, 41
, 72
, 230
, 241
, 272
, 283
, 324
, 340
, 372
, 441
, 462
, 472
, 501
, 625
, 741
, 743
, 772
, 896
, 897
, and 999
.
Current railroads
As of 2006, passenger service in Lancaster County is provided by Amtrak
, whose Keystone Corridor
passes through the county, with stops at Lancaster
, Mount Joy
and Elizabethtown
. A station is planned at Paradise
to provide connecting service with the Strasburg Railroad
, which runs passenger excursions from nearby Leaman Place
to Strasburg
.
The principal freight operator in the county is Norfolk Southern Railway
(NS). The NS main line follows the Susquehanna River (with trackage rights
for Canadian Pacific Railway
(CPR)), and leaves the county by crossing the river on Shocks Mills Bridge
near Marietta
. NS also has trackage rights over the Keystone Corridor, to which it is connected by the Royalton Branch, which runs north along the river from the main line at Marietta, and the Columbia Branch, which runs from the Corridor at Dillerville
to the main line at Columbia
. Two other NS branches originate on the Corridor: the Lititz Secondary, which runs from Dillerville to Manheim
and ends at Lititz
, and the New Holland Industrial, which leaves the Corridor around the east end of Lancaster to run east to New Holland
and ends at East Earl.
Several shortlines also operate in the county. With the exception of the Strasburg Railroad, all are freight railroads. The East Penn Railroad
(ESPN) operates on a spur off the NS branch to Manheim, and on a longer line in the northeast corner of Lancaster County into Berks County. Landisville Terminal and Transfer Company (LNTV) operates on a spur off the Amtrak line at Landisville. The Tyburn Railroad operates some trackage around Dillerville. Most recently, the Columbia and Reading Railway (CORY) began operating on 2.5 miles (4 km) of track in Columbia in January 2010.
Lancaster Airport
is the only airport in the county with scheduled service, though Smoketown Airport
also serves general aviation
.
was first discovered and identified by science in Lancaster County by botanist Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg
. Muhlenberg discovered the turtle species accidentally while he was conducting a survey of the flora
in Lancaster County. The species was named Muhlenberg's tortoise in 1801, but renamed bog turtle, its present common name
, in 1956.
of 2000, there were 470,658 people, 172,560 households, and 124,070 families residing in the county. The population density
was 496 people per square mile (191/km²). There were 179,990 housing units at an average density of 190 per square mile (73/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.46% White, 2.76% African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.45% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.90% from other races
, and 1.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.68% of the population.
There were 172,560 households out of which 33.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.90% were married couples
living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 23.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.60% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 28.30% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.60 males.
5.58% of the population reported speaking Pennsylvania German
, German
, or Dutch
at home, while a further 4.97% spoke Spanish
. 39.8% were of German, 11.8% United States
or American, 7.2% Irish
and 5.7% English
ancestry according to the United States Census, 2000
.
According to official Census Bureau estimates, the county's population had grown to 490,562 by 2005.
to include not only dialect but also in nomenclature. But the main difference and what people take notice of from outside the area is the PA Dutch English that people from Lancaster York Harrisburg use.
In 2005, Lancaster County was 10th of all counties in Pennsylvania with 17.7% of its workforce employed in manufacturing; the state averages 13.7%, and the leader, Crawford County
, has only 25.1%.
Lancaster County lags in information workers, despite being the corporate headquarters of MapQuest
. It ranks 31st in the state with only 1.3% of the workforce; the state as a whole employs 2.1% in information technology.
The county ranks 11th in the state in managerial and financial workers, despite having only 12.5% of the workforce in those occupations (versus the state average of 12.8%). The state leaders are Chester County
with 20.5% and Montgomery County
with 18.5%.
With only 17.3% working in the professions, Lancaster County is 31st in Pennsylvania,
compared to a state average of 21.5%. Centre County
leads with 31.8%, undoubtedly due to Penn State
's giant footprint in an otherwise rural county, but the upscale Philadelphia suburbs of Montgomery County
give them 27.2%.
Lancaster County ranks even lower, 34th, in service workers, with 13.3% of the workforce, compared to a state average of 15.8%. Philadelphia County
, leads with 20.5%.
Lancaster County has an unemployment rate of 7.8% as of August 2010. This is a rise from a rate of 7.6% the previous year.
There are 11,000 companies in Lancaster County. The county's largest manufacturing and distributing employers at the end of 2003 were Acme Markets, Alumax Mill Products, Anvil International, Armstrong World Industries
, Bollman Hat
, CNH Global
, Conestoga Wood Specialties
, Dart Container
, High Industries, Lancaster Laboratories
, Pepperidge Farm
, R R Donnelley & Sons, The Hershey Company
, Tyco Electronics
, Tyson Foods
, Warner-Lambert, and Yellow Transportation.
Auntie Anne's
, Clipper Magazine
, Lancaster Farming
, MapQuest
, Turkey Hill Dairy, Clair Brothers, and Wilbur Chocolate Company
are Lancaster County-based organizations with an economic footprint of regional or national significance.
Herley Industries
is a local producer of microwave and millimeter wave products for the defense and aerospace industries.
Livestock-raising is responsible for $710 million of that $800 million, with dairy
accounting for $266 million, poultry
and egg
s accounting for $258 million. Cattle
and swine
each account for about $90 million.
Agriculture is likely to remain an important part of Lancaster County: almost exactly half of Lancaster County's land – 320000 acres (129,499.5 ha) – is zoned for agriculture, and of those, 276000 acres (111,693.3 ha) are "effective agricultural zoning", requiring at least 20 acres (8.1 ha) per residence.
In the 1860s, articles in the Atlantic Monthly and Lippincott’s Magazine started tourism in Lancaster County right after the Civil War
, but it didn't really take off until the 1920s, when the Lincoln Highway
was built. A New York Times travel article in 1952 brought 25,000 visitors, and the 1955 Broadway musical Plain and Fancy
brought even more, but tourism tapered off, after the 1974 gas rationing
and the Three Mile Island incident led to five years of stagnation.
Local tourism officials viewed it as deus ex machina
when Hollywood stepped in to rescue their industry. Harrison Ford
, in the popular 1985 movie Witness
, played John Book, a Philadelphia detective who in turn played "Plain" in order to protect Samuel Lapp, an Old Order Amish boy who has witnessed a murder. Predictably, John Book falls in love with Rachel Lapp, the boy's widowed mother; the movie is less a thriller than a romance about the difficulties faced by an English man in love with a Plain widow. The film was nominated for eight Oscars, and won two. However, the real winner was Lancaster County tourism, as movie-goers found themselves intrigued by the Plain.
Once again, especially after the 9/11 attacks
, tourism in Lancaster County has shifted. Instead of families arriving for a 3–4 day stay for a general visit, now tourists arrive for a specific event, whether it be the rhubarb festival, the "maize maze", to see Thomas the Tank Engine
, for Sertoma
's annual "World's Largest Chicken Barbecue" or for the latest show at Sight & Sound Theatres
. The tourism industry is discouraged by this change, but not despondent:
The county also promotes tourist visits to the county's numerous historic and picturesque covered bridge
s by publishing driving tours of the bridges. At over 200 bridges still in existence, Pennsylvania has more covered bridges than anywhere else in the world, and at 29 covered bridges, Lancaster County has the largest share.
The Lancaster County Convention Center Authority http://www.lccca.com/ is building a controversial $170 million convention center in downtown Lancaster on the site of the former Watt & Shand building. The project's supporters believe it would promote the revitalization of the city's center. Its opponents, however, feel it poses an unacceptable risk to taxpayers.
Other tourist attractions include the American Music Theatre, Dutch Wonderland
, Ephrata Cloister
, Ephrata Fair
, Hans Herr House
, Landis Valley Museum
, Pennsylvania Dutch Country
, Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire
(one of the largest Renaissance fair
s in the world), Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
, Rock Ford plantation
, Robert Fulton Birthplace
, Sight & Sound Theatres
, Strasburg Railroad
, Wilbur Chocolate, and Sturgis Pretzel House
. There are many tours of this historic area including the Downtown Lancaster Walking Tour.
The following cities, boroughs, and townships are located in Lanacster County:
is the least populated borough in Lancaster County, as of 2010. Ephrata is the most populous.
s are geographical areas designated by the United States Census Bureau
for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law.
, Franklin & Marshall College
, Harrisburg Area Community College
, Lancaster Bible College
, Lancaster Theological Seminary
, Millersville University of Pennsylvania
, Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
and Lancaster General College of Nursing and Health Sciences
.
There are 16 public school districts in the county:
There is also one charter school, the La Academia Charter School.
Additionally, Lancaster County has a federated library system with 14 member libraries, three branches and a bookmobile. The Library System of Lancaster County
was established in April 1987 to provide well-coordinated countywide services and cooperative programs to assist member libraries in meeting the diverse needs of its community residents. The Board of Lancaster County Commissioners appoints the Library System of Lancaster County's seven-member board of directors. The System is an agent of the Commonwealth which supported Pennsylvania and The County of Lancaster.
, which played from 1906 to about 1930, and from 1932 to 1961. In 2005, the Lancaster Barnstormers joined the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. The Barnstormers are named after the "barnstorming
" players who played exhibition games in the county. Their official colors are red, navy blue, and khaki, the same as those of the Red Roses. This franchise won their first league championship in 2006, only their second season. They have revived the old baseball rivalry between Lancaster and nearby York
, called the War of the Roses, when the York Revolution
started their inaugural season in 2007.
The Women's Premier Soccer League expanded to Lancaster for the 2008 season, with the Lancaster Inferno. The WPSL is a FIFA-recognized women's league. The Inferno is owned by the Pennsylvania Classics organization and play their home games at the Hempfield High School stadium in Landisville
. The Inferno's colors are orange, black, and white.
team of the North American Football League has played at Pequea Valley High School's
football stadium in Kinzers.
Lancaster is also the home of the Dutchland Derby Rollers (DDR), a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA.) Founded in 2006, The Dutchland Rollers boast 2 travel teams, the All-Stars and the Blitz. Both rosters play teams from neighboring leagues, though it is the Dutchland All-Stars that compete for national ranking. Their home rink is Overlook Activities Center, and their colors are orange and black.
(as well as the Lancaster Rockets and the Lancaster Lightning) played in the Continental Basketball Association
.
County (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...
located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the 99th largest of 361 MSAs
United States metropolitan area
In the United States a metropolitan statistical area is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are not legally incorporated as a city or town would be, nor are they legal administrative divisions like...
in the U.S. The city of Lancaster
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
.
Locally, Lancaster is pronounced ˈlæŋkɨstər , unlike the city in England
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
for which it was named.
Lancaster County is a popular tourist destination, due mostly to the many plain sect residents, known as the Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
or Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch refers to immigrants and their descendants from southwestern Germany and Switzerland who settled in Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries...
. The term Pennsylvania Dutch comes from the earlier use of Dutch to apply to all immigrants from Europe speaking German. They are the descendants of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
s (Deutsch) who immigrated in the 18th and 19th centuries for the freedom of religion
Freedom of religion
Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any...
offered by William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
, and were attracted by the rich soil and mild climate of the area. Freedom from poverty and political uncertainty also was a major factor. Also attracted to promises of religious freedom, French Huguenots
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
fleeing religious persecution
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
with significant numbers of English, Welsh and Scots-Irish settled this area in 1710.
History
The area that became Lancaster County was part of William PennWilliam Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
's 1681 charter, and John Kennerly received the first recorded deed from Penn in 1691. Although Matthias Kreider was said to have been in the area as early as 1691, there is no evidence that anyone actually settled in Lancaster County before 1710.
Lancaster County was part of Chester County, Pennsylvania
Chester County, Pennsylvania
-State parks:*French Creek State Park*Marsh Creek State Park*White Clay Creek Preserve-Demographics:As of the 2010 census, the county was 85.5% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were...
until May 10, 1729, when it became the fourth county in the state. Lancaster County was named after the city of Lancaster
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
in the county of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
in England, the native home of John Wright, one of the early settler
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
s. Six other counties were subsequently formed from territory directly taken, in all or in part, from Lancaster County: Berks
Berks County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 per square mile...
(1752), Cumberland
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 235,406.-History:...
(1750), Dauphin
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Dauphin County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of the three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 census, the population was 268,100. The county includes the city of Harrisburg, which has served as the state capital...
(1785), Lebanon
Lebanon County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 120,327 people and 32,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 332 people per square mile . There were 49,320 housing units at an average density of 136 per square mile...
(1813), Northumberland
Northumberland County, Pennsylvania
There were 38,835 households out of which 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.40% were married couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.10% were non-families. 30.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.50% had...
(1772), and York
York County, Pennsylvania
York County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 434,972. It is in the Susquehanna Valley, a large fertile agricultural region in South Central Pennsylvania....
(1749). Many other counties were in turn formed from these six.
Indigenous peoples
Native tribes in the area included the ShawneeShawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
, Susquehannock
Susquehannock
The Susquehannock people were Iroquoian-speaking Native Americans who lived in areas adjacent to the Susquehanna River and its tributaries from the southern part of what is now New York, through Pennsylvania, to the mouth of the Susquehanna in Maryland at the north end of the Chesapeake Bay...
, Gawanese, Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
(or Delaware), and Nanticoke peoples.
Among the earliest recorded inhabitants of the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
were the Iroquoian
Iroquoian languages
The Iroquoian languages are a First Nation and Native American language family.-Family division:*Ruttenber, Edward Manning. 1992 [1872]. History of the Indian tribes of Hudson's River. Hope Farm Press....
-speaking Susquehannock
Susquehannock
The Susquehannock people were Iroquoian-speaking Native Americans who lived in areas adjacent to the Susquehanna River and its tributaries from the southern part of what is now New York, through Pennsylvania, to the mouth of the Susquehanna in Maryland at the north end of the Chesapeake Bay...
s, whose name meant "people of the muddy river" in Algonquian
Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
. They were also known as the Conestoga
Susquehannock
The Susquehannock people were Iroquoian-speaking Native Americans who lived in areas adjacent to the Susquehanna River and its tributaries from the southern part of what is now New York, through Pennsylvania, to the mouth of the Susquehanna in Maryland at the north end of the Chesapeake Bay...
, from their principal village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
, Kanestoge, known to the English as Indiantown. They were viewed by European settlers as a friendly tribe, converted to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, who made brooms and baskets for sale, and named children after their favorite neighbors.
However, the outbreak of Pontiac's War in the summer of 1763, coupled with the conciliatory but militarily ineffective policies of the provincial government, aroused in some suspicion and hatred against all Indians
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
in the frontier counties of the state. On December 14, 1763, the Paxton Boys
Paxton Boys
The Paxton Boys were a vigilante group who murdered 20 Susquehannock in events collectively called the Conestoga Massacre. Scots-Irish frontiersmen from central Pennsylvania along the Susquehanna River formed a vigilante group to retaliate against local American Indians in the aftermath of the...
, led by Matthew Smith and Capt. Lazarus Stewart
Lazarus Stewart
Captain Lazarus Stewart was an 18th century Pennsylvanian frontiersman and leader of the Paxton Boys. He achieved notoriety by leading the massacre of the Susquehannocks in 1763, and was a prominent military commander — on the Yankee side — in the Pennamite Wars...
, descended upon the village, slaughtered the six Indians present at the time, and burned their houses. The fourteen survivors of the tribe were placed in protective custody in the county jail, but the Paxton Boys returned on December 27, broke into the jail, and butchered the remaining Conestogas. The lack of effective government control and widespread sympathy in the frontier counties for the murderers rendered their discovery and arrest futile.
Maryland-Pennsylvania boundary dispute
Territorial dispute
A territorial dispute is a disagreement over the possession/control of land between two or more states or over the possession or control of land by a new state and occupying power after it has conquered the land from a former state no longer currently recognized by the new state.-Context and...
, culminating in nine years of armed clashes during the Maryland-Pennsylvania boundary dispute beginning with the 1730 establishment of Wright's Ferry
Wright's Ferry
Wright's Ferry was an animal powered ferry established by John Wright in 1730, and the very first means of crossing the wide unfriendly Susquehanna in the counties of the lower half of the state of Pennsylvaniaand directly triggered Cresap's War between the Province of Maryland and Pennsylvania...
across the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
. Lord Baltimore
Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore
Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, 1st Proprietor and 1st Proprietary Governor of Maryland, 9th Proprietary Governor of Newfoundland , was an English peer who was the first proprietor of the Province of Maryland. He received the proprietorship after the death of his father, George Calvert, the...
believed that his grant to Maryland extended to the 40th parallel – about halfway between Lancaster and the town of Willow Street, PA
Willow Street, Pennsylvania
Willow Street is a census-designated place in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,258 at the 2000 census. In the early part of the 20th century the main thoroughfare in town was lined with Willow trees on both sides for the length of the town. The community received...
, which line of demarcation, would have put Philadelphia in Maryland.
Spurred by a sudden influx of settlers crossing the Susquehanna and the licensing and formal beginning of the Wright's Ferry
Wright's Ferry
Wright's Ferry was an animal powered ferry established by John Wright in 1730, and the very first means of crossing the wide unfriendly Susquehanna in the counties of the lower half of the state of Pennsylvaniaand directly triggered Cresap's War between the Province of Maryland and Pennsylvania...
ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
services early in the year, acting on behalf of Maryland as a henchman of Lord Baltimore
Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore
Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, 1st Proprietor and 1st Proprietary Governor of Maryland, 9th Proprietary Governor of Newfoundland , was an English peer who was the first proprietor of the Province of Maryland. He received the proprietorship after the death of his father, George Calvert, the...
, Thomas Cresap starting in mid-1730, began confiscating the newly settled farms near Peach Bottom
Peach Bottom, Pennsylvania
Peach Bottom, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated village in Fulton Township, Lancaster County, in the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. It lies on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, at ....
and Columbia, Pennsylvania
Columbia, Pennsylvania
Columbia, once colonial Wright's Ferry, is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 28 miles southeast of Harrisburg on the left bank Susquehanna River across from Wrightsville and York County. Originally, the area may have been called Conejohela Flats, for the many islands and islets in the...
(thenunnamed, but soon would be called "Wright's Ferry"), for the question from Lord Baltimore, was who was to get the income from the lands. He had believed he had a defensible claim on the west bank of the Susquehanna since 1721, that his demesne and grant extended to forty degrees north. That could be jeopardized if Pennsylvanians settled his lands without adverse reaction, and a counter claim to settlements.
Captain Cresap's initial actions were innocuous, establishing a second ferry in the upper Conejohela down river from John Wright's
John Wright (businessman)
Emigrant English pioneer John Wright, , was a colonial period businessman who established Wright's Ferry triggering nine years of armed conflict during the Maryland-Pennsylvania boundary dispute known as Cresap's War...
but near his father-in-laws settlement at Peach Bottom, and demanding settlers either move out or pay Maryland for the right bank lands they'd already received from Pennsylvania, but here events soon got out of hand, blew up, and soon started Cresap's War
Cresap's War
Cresap's War was a border conflict between Pennsylvania and Maryland, fought in the 1730s...
by acting on behalf of Maryland as a henchman of Lord Baltimore
Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore
Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, 1st Proprietor and 1st Proprietary Governor of Maryland, 9th Proprietary Governor of Newfoundland , was an English peer who was the first proprietor of the Province of Maryland. He received the proprietorship after the death of his father, George Calvert, the...
confiscating farms near Peach Bottom
Peach Bottom, Pennsylvania
Peach Bottom, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated village in Fulton Township, Lancaster County, in the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. It lies on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, at ....
and Wrightsville
Columbia, Pennsylvania
Columbia, once colonial Wright's Ferry, is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 28 miles southeast of Harrisburg on the left bank Susquehanna River across from Wrightsville and York County. Originally, the area may have been called Conejohela Flats, for the many islands and islets in the...
, establishing a second ferry there. He started vandalizing farms, killing livestock and driving away settlers in southern York and Lancaster counties, giving those lands to his followers. When a follower was arrested, the Marylanders broke him out of the Lancaster lockup.
Lord Baltimore negotiated a compromise in 1733, but Cresap ignored it, and continued his raids. When an attempt was made to arrest him in 1734, he killed a deputy at his door. The Pennsylvania governor demanded Maryland arrest Cresap for murder; the Maryland governor named him a captain in their militia instead. In 1736, he was finally arrested, and jailed until 1737 when the King intervened. In 1750, a court decided that Lord Baltimore had forfeited his rights to a twenty-mile (32 km) swath of land. The new Pennsylvania-Maryland border was properly established by the Mason-Dixon line
Mason-Dixon line
The Mason–Dixon Line was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in the resolution of a border dispute between British colonies in Colonial America. It forms a demarcation line among four U.S. states, forming part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and...
in 1767.
Diversity of ancestors
The names of the original Lancaster County townships reflect the diverse array of settlers in the new county: two had Welsh names (CaernarvonCaernarvon Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Caernarvon Township is a township in northeastern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,278 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , all of it land....
and Lampeter
East Lampeter Township, Pennsylvania
East Lampeter Township is a township in central Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 13,556.East Lampeter Township is one of the six immediate suburbs of the city of Lancaster, all sharing the same official designation as Lancaster, Pennsylvania by...
), three had Native American names (Cocalico
East Cocalico Township, Pennsylvania
East Cocalico Township is a township in northeastern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 9,954.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , all of it land....
, Conestoga
Conestoga Township, Pennsylvania
Conestoga Township is a township in west central Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 3,749.-Geography:According to the U.S...
and Peshtank or Paxton), six were English (Warwick
Warwick Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Warwick Township is a township in north central Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 15,475 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, Lancaster
Lancaster Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster Township is a civil township of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is in the central area and it immediately surrounds Lancaster City...
, Martic
Martic Township, Pennsylvania
Martic Township is a township in southwestern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 4,990. Martic Township was organized as a Township in 1729. It borders Conestoga, Providence, Pequea and Drumore Townships....
, Sadsbury
Sadsbury Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Sadsbury Township is a township in east central Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,025 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, Salisbury
Salisbury Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Salisbury Township is a township in east central Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 10,012 at the 2000 census.Salisbury Township was carved out of Pequea Township in 1729 and named for Salisbury, England...
and Hempfield
East Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania
East Hempfield Township is a township in west-central Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 21,399....
); four were Irish (Donegal
East Donegal Township, Pennsylvania
East Donegal Township is a township in northwestern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 5,405.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, Drumore
East Drumore Township, Pennsylvania
East Drumore Township is a township in south central Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 3,535. It is part of the Solanco School District.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, Derry
Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Derry Township is a township in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 21,273 at the 2000 census. Hershey, Pennsylvania, the site of the well-known Hershey's chocolate factory and its affiliated amusement park, are also located within the township...
, and Leacock
Leacock Township, Pennsylvania
Leacock Township is a township in east central Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,878 at the 2000 census. The township has a large Amish and Mennonite population.-Geography:...
), Manheim
Manheim Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Manheim Township is a township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania established in 1729, which southernmost border meets the city limits of Lancaster. The population as of the 2000 census was 33,697.-Government:...
was German, Lebanon
South Lebanon Township, Pennsylvania
South Lebanon Township is a township in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Lebanon, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area...
came from the Bible, and Earl
Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Earl Township is a township in northeastern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,183 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
the anglicization of the German surname of Graf or Groff.
19th century statesmen
Lancaster County's native son James BuchananJames Buchanan
James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century....
, a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, was elected as the 15th President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
in 1856, the only Pennsylvanian to hold the presidency. His home, Wheatland
Wheatland (Lancaster)
Wheatland, or the James Buchanan House, is a brick, Federal style house outside of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in Lancaster Township, Lancaster County. It was formerly owned by the 15th President of the United States, James Buchanan....
, is now a museum in Lancaster. Thaddeus Stevens
Thaddeus Stevens
Thaddeus Stevens , of Pennsylvania, was a Republican leader and one of the most powerful members of the United States House of Representatives...
, the noted Radical Republican, served Lancaster County in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 1849–1853 and from 1859 until his death in 1868. Stevens left a $50,000 bequest to start an orphanage that eventually became the state-owned Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology is a two-year co-educational technical college that provides an education in twenty two programs for about 800 students. It was named for Thaddeus Stevens, a nineteenth-century politician. The school was founded in 1905.Stevens is located in southeastern...
. Both men are buried in Lancaster.
Slavery and the Christiana incident
Pennsylvania abolishedAbolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
slavery in 1780, although in a slow manner. The existing 6000 slaves in Pennsylvania remained slaves, and the registered children of those slaves were slaves until their 28th birthday. The last slave child registered in Pennsylvania was Haley, born in 1811, and a freedman no later than 1839. Thus Pennsylvania was legally a free state when the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
The Fugitive Slave Law or Fugitive Slave Act was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern slave holding interests and Northern Free-Soilers. This was one of the most controversial acts of the 1850 compromise and heightened...
was passed as part of the Compromise of 1850
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a package of five bills, passed in September 1850, which defused a four-year confrontation between the slave states of the South and the free states of the North regarding the status of territories acquired during the Mexican-American War...
.
Being immediately north of the Mason-Dixon line, Lancaster County was an important stop on the Underground Railway
Underground railway
Underground railway may refer to:*The Underground Railroad, a network of clandestine routes by which African slaves in the 19th century United States attempted to escape*Rapid transit, urban railways that sometimes use tunnels...
. Charles Spotts found 17 stations, including ones with trap doors, hidden vaults, an underground cave and one with a brick tunnel leading to Octorara Creek.
Edward Gorsuch, probably one of the least cruel, did not beat his slaves, and as a wealthy Maryland wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
farmer, he could afford to manumit
Manumission
Manumission is the act of a slave owner freeing his or her slaves. In the United States before the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which abolished most slavery, this often happened upon the death of the owner, under conditions in his will.-Motivations:The...
slaves in their 20s. He allowed his slaves to work for cash elsewhere during the slow season. There was wheat missing, though, sold to a local farmer by his slaves, and he thought a former slave was responsible for this dishonesty. As he had a bad temper, slaves Noah Buley, Nelson Ford, George Ford, and Joshua Hammond became afraid, and fled to the farm of William Parker
William Parker and the Christiana Resistance
William Parker, a former slave from Roedown Plantation in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, was an anti-slavery activist and a principal character in the events of September 11, 1851 in Christiana, Pennsylvania. The events at Christiana resulted in the death of a Maryland slaveowner...
, a mulatto who lived in Christiana, Pennsylvania
Christiana, Pennsylvania
Christiana is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,124 at the 2000 census. In 1851 it was the site of the Battle of Christiana .-Geography:...
. Parker, 29, was a member of the Lancaster Black Self-Protection Society, and known to use violence to defend himself and the slaves who sought refuge in the area.
Gorsuch obtained four warrants, and organized four parties which set out separately to recover his property. He died in the attempt, though, and others were wounded. Although Gorsuch was legally entitled to recover his slaves, it is not clear who precipitated the violence. The incident was variously called the "Christiana Riot", "Christiana Resistance", the "Christiana Outrage", and the "Christiana Tragedy".
In September, 1851, the grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
returned a "true bill" (indictment
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
) against 38 individuals who were then held in Moyamensing Prison
Moyamensing Prison
Moyamensing Prison was a prison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, designed by Thomas U. Walter and completed in 1835.-History:The prison's cornerstone was laid April 2, 1832, and it was finished in 1835...
in Philadelphia to await trial. The only one who was ever tried was Castner Hanway.
It is not clear that Castner Hanway was responsible in any way for what happened. He was a white man, one of the first on the scene. Hanway and his horse provided cover for Joshua Gorsuch and Dr. Pearce, who were wounded. Hanway was tried in federal court in Philadelphia on November 15, 1851 for liberating slaves taken into custody by U.S. Marshal Kline, for resisting arrest, for conspiracy, and for treason. The jury returned a Not Guilty verdict in 15 minutes. Among the five defense lawyers was congressman Thaddeus Stevens
Thaddeus Stevens
Thaddeus Stevens , of Pennsylvania, was a Republican leader and one of the most powerful members of the United States House of Representatives...
.
Religious history
The oldest surviving dwelling for European immigrants in the county is that of MennoniteMennonite
The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
Bishop Hans Herr
Hans Herr
Hans Herr was born in Zürich, Switzerland, a descendant of the Knight, Hugo Herr. He joined the religious society...
, built in 1719. In 1989, Donald Kraybill
Donald Kraybill
Donald B. Kraybill is a prolific author, lecturer, and educator on Anabaptist faiths and living. Kraybill is widely recognized for his studies on Anabaptist groups, and is the foremost living expert on the Old Order Amish....
counted 37 distinct religious bodies/organizations, with 289 congregations and 41,600 baptized members, among the plain sects who are descendants of the Anabaptist
Anabaptist
Anabaptists are Protestant Christians of the Radical Reformation of 16th-century Europe, and their direct descendants, particularly the Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites....
Mennonite immigrants to Lancaster County. The Mennonite Central Committee in Akron
Akron, Pennsylvania
Akron is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is a mid-sized town with two main roads going through it: Main Street and 7th Street Pennsylvania Route 272. The town is mostly residential with a number of small businesses...
is often among the first to arrive at a disaster scene, quietly providing manpower and material to local organizations that better understand where relief should be directed.
The town of Lititz was originally planned as a closed community founded by members of the Moravian Church early in the 1740s. The town eventually grew and welcomed its neighbors. The Moravian Church established Linden Hall School for Girls in 1746, it is one of the earliest educational institutions in continuous operation in the United States.
In addition to the Ephrata Cloister
Ephrata Cloister
The Ephrata Cloister or Ephrata Community was a religious community, established in 1732 by Johann Conrad Beissel at Ephrata, in what is now Lancaster County, Pennsylvania...
, the United Brethren in Christ and the Evangelical United Brethren (EUB) trace their beginnings to a 1767 meeting at the Isaac Long barn, near the hamlet of Oregon, in West Lampeter Township
West Lampeter Township, Pennsylvania
West Lampeter Township is a township in central Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,145 at the 2000 census.- Geography :...
. The EUB, a German Methodist church, merged with the traditionally English Methodist church to become the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
in 1968,
The first Jewish resident was Isaac Miranda , who owned property there before the town and county were organized in 1730. Ten years later there were several Jewish families in the town; on Feb. 3, 1747, there was recorded a deed to Isaac Nunus Ricus (Henriques) and Joseph Simon, conveying 0.5 acres (2,023.4 m²) of land "in trust for the society of Jews settled in and about Lancaster," to be used as a place of burial. Today, this cemetery is still in use by, and is considered the fourth oldest Jewish cemetery in America.
Today, Lancaster County is home to three synagogues, the Orthodox Degel Israel, the Conservative Beth El, and the Reform Shaarai Shomayim. Chabad Lubavitch also has a Jewish Center that focuses on serving the Jewish students of Franklin and Marshall College as well serving the general community with certain religious services. The larger community enjoys a Jewish Community Center which hosts a preschool, and a catering hall. The Lancaster Mikvah Association runs a mikveh on Degel Israe's property. Central PA Kosher Stand is operated at Dutch Wonderland
Dutch Wonderland
Dutch Wonderland is a amusement park just east of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, appealing primarily to families with small children. The park's theme is a "Kingdom for Kids." The entrance to the park has a real stone castle façade, which was built by Earl Clark, a potato farmer, before he opened the...
, a seasonal amusement park.
This area was also settled by French Huguenots. Among its very first resident was Isaac LeFevre, who with a group of other Huguenot's settled in the area of the Pequea Creek.
Inventions
- FrakturFraktur (Pennsylvania German folk art)Fraktur is both a style of lettering and a highly artistic and elaborate illuminated folk art created by the Pennsylvania Dutch...
, the artistic and elaborate 18th century and 19th century hand-illuminated folk art inspired by German blackface type, originated at Johann Conrad Beissel's cloisterEphrata CloisterThe Ephrata Cloister or Ephrata Community was a religious community, established in 1732 by Johann Conrad Beissel at Ephrata, in what is now Lancaster County, Pennsylvania...
of German 7th-day Baptists in EphrataEphrata, PennsylvaniaEphrata is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, south east of Harrisburg and about west by north of Philadelphia. It is named after Ephrath, a biblical town in what is now Israel. Ephrata's sister city is Eberbach, Germany, the city where its founders originated. In its...
. - The first battery-powered watch, the Hamilton Electric 500, was released in 1957 by the Hamilton Watch CompanyHamilton Watch CompanyThe Hamilton Watch Company was originally formed to produce high quality pocket watches and wristwatches mid-range and luxury. Hamilton would become a corporate conglomerate diversified in other operations...
. - The Pennsylvania Long RifleLong rifleThe American longrifle , better known as the Kentucky rifle was described best by Captain John G. W. Dillin in the dedication to his seminal 1924 book, The Kentucky Rifle:...
, sometimes mistakenly called the Kentucky Long Rifle. - The Conestoga wagonConestoga wagonThe Conestoga wagon is a heavy, broad-wheeled covered wagon that was used extensively during the late 18th century and the 19th century in the United States and sometimes in Canada as well. It was large enough to transport loads up to 8 tons , and was drawn by horses, mules or oxen...
, which started the practice of driving right-of-center. - The Stogie cigar The word Stogie is a shortened form of Conestoga.
- The Amish quiltQuiltingQuilting is a sewing method done to join two or more layers of material together to make a thicker padded material. A quilter is the name given to someone who works at quilting. Quilting can be done by hand, by sewing machine, or by a specialist longarm quilting system.The process of quilting uses...
, a highly utilitarian art form, dates to 1849 in Lancaster County.
Government and politics
RepublicansRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
control the vast majority of state, county and municipal elected offices in Lancaster County.
Elected officials
Lancaster County is represented nationally by U.S. SenatorUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
s Pat Toomey
Pat Toomey
Patrick Joseph "Pat" Toomey, Sr. is the junior United States Senator for Pennsylvania and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, Toomey served as a U.S. Representative for three terms, but did not seek a fourth in compliance with a pledge he had made while running for office in 1998...
(R) and Bob Casey, Jr.
Bob Casey, Jr.
Robert Patrick "Bob" Casey, Jr. is the senior U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served as Pennsylvania Treasurer, and Pennsylvania Auditor General. He is the son of former Governor Bob Casey, Sr..He is the first Democrat elected to a full term in...
(D), and by U.S. Congressman Joe Pitts (R) of Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district
Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district
Pennsylvania’s 16th congressional district is located in the southeastern part of the state, just west of Philadelphia. Created after the 2000 Census, the district is composed of a large portion of southern Chester County, all of Lancaster County, and a sliver of Berks County, including a sliver...
.
State Senators Lloyd Smucker 13th District, Michael W. Brubaker 36th District, and Mike Folmer
Mike Folmer
Mike Folmer of Lebanon, Pennsylvania is a Pennsylvania State Senator who represents the 48th Senate district, which includes all of Lebanon County and portions of Berks, Chester, Dauphin and Lancaster Counties...
, 48th District
Pennsylvania Senate, District 48
Pennsylvania's 48th Senatorial district includes parts of Berks, Chester, Dauphin, Lancaster, and Lebanon Counties.All of Lebanon CountyBerks County* Adamstown* Bethel Township* Brecknock Township* Caernarvon Township* Centerport* Centre Township...
are all Republican.
| Presidential Election results in Lancaster County | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | Republicans | ||||||||
| Registration | Votes | Registration | Votes | ||||||
| 1980 | 29.86% | 27.30% | 70.14% | 72.70% | |||||
| 1984 | 47235 | 29.31% | 31308 | 24.01% | 113906 | 70.69% | 99090 | 75.99% | |
| 1988 | 41919 | 26.91% | 38982 | 28.67% | 113843 | 73.09% | 96979 | 71.33% | |
| 1992 | 47206 | 28.03% | 44255 | 33.35% | 121190 | 71.97% | 88447 | 66.65% | |
| 1996 | 56036 | 28.27% | 49120 | 34.59% | 142170 | 71.73% | 92875 | 65.41% | |
| 2000 | 67932 | 29.01% | 54968 | 32.17% | 166272 | 70.99% | 115900 | 67.83% | |
| 2004 | 74328 | 33.59% | 145591 | 65.80% | |||||
| 2008 | 99586 | 43.44% | 126568 | 55.21% | |||||
| Source: The Committee of Seventy | |||||||||
With the exception of P. Michael Sturla 96th District, a Democrat, all local state Representatives
Legislator
A legislator is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are usually politicians and are often elected by the people...
are Republican: Thomas C. Creighton 37th District, Katie True 41st District, Scott W. Boyd 43rd District, John C. Bear 97th District, David S. Hickernell 98th District, Gordon Denlinger
Gordon Denlinger
Gordon R. Denlinger is a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 99th District and was elected in a special election in 2003...
99th District and Bryan Cutler 100th District.
With the exception of County Commissioner Craig Lehman and Jury Commissioner Judith A. Saylor, who are both Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, all county officials are members of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. The other county officials are County Commissioners Dennis Stuckey and Scott Martin, Coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
Dr. Stephen Diamantoni, Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
Terry A. Bergman, Recorder of Deeds Bonnie Bowman, Register of Wills Mary Ann Gerber, Clerk of Common Pleas Court Ryan Aument
Ryan Aument
Ryan P. Aument is the currently the 56th Clerk of Courts in Lancaster County.He is also the Republican candidate for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 41. In November 2010 Aument defeated Gerald E. Policoff in the General election and was elected to the Pennsylvania House of...
, Treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
Craig Ebersole, Prothonotary
Prothonotary
The word prothonotary is recorded in English since 1447, as "principal clerk of a court," from L.L. prothonotarius , from Greek protonotarios "first scribe," originally the chief of the college of recorders of the court of the Byzantine Empire, from Greek protos "first" + Latin notarius ; the -h-...
Randall O. Wenger, Controller
Comptroller
A comptroller is a management level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization.In British government, the Comptroller General or Comptroller and Auditor General is in most countries the external auditor of the budget execution of the...
Keith Greiner, and Jury Commissioner Diane Collier.
Geography
Lancaster County has a total area of 984 square miles (2,548.5 km²). 949 square miles (2,457.9 km²) of which is land and 35 square miles (90.6 km²) (3.53%) is water.Watersheds
Almost all of Lancaster County is in the Chesapeake BayChesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
, via the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
watershed (the exception is a small unnamed tributary of the West Branch of Brandywine Creek that rises in eastern Salisbury Township and is part of the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
watershed). The major stream
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
s in the county (with percent area drained) are: Conestoga River
Conestoga River
The Conestoga River, also referred to as Conestoga Creek, is a tributary of the Susquehanna River flowing through the center of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.-Geography:...
and Little Conestoga Creek
Little Conestoga Creek
The Little Conestoga Creek is a tributary of the Conestoga River in Pennsylvania. The Landis Mill Covered Bridge crosses the creek.The name of the creek comes from the Susquehannock Kanestoge, meaning "at the place of the immersed pole". This was the name of the principal Susquehannock...
(31.42%); Pequea Creek
Pequea Creek
Pequea Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River that runs for from the eastern border of Lancaster County and Berks County, Pennsylvania to the village of Pequea, about above the hydroelectric dam at Holtwood along the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County.The name of the creek is Shawnee...
(15.02%); Chiques Creek
Chiques Creek
Chiques Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Lebanon and Lancaster counties, Pennsylvania in the United States.The source is at an elevation of near Mount Gretna Heights in Lebanon County...
(or Chickies Creek, 12.07%); Cocalico Creek
Cocalico Creek
Cocalico Creek is a tributary of the Conestoga River in Lebanon and Lancaster counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. The source is at an elevation of near Stricklerstown in Millcreek Township, Lebanon County...
(11.25%); Octoraro Creek
Octoraro Creek
Octoraro Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, joining it above the Susquehanna's mouth at Chesapeake Bay. The Octoraro rises as an East and West Branch in Pennsylvania. The East Branch and Octoraro Creek form the southern half of the border between Lancaster and Chester counties until...
(10.74%); and Conowingo Creek
Conowingo Creek
Conowingo Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and Cecil County, Maryland.The name of the creek comes from the Lenape, meaning "at the rapids"....
(3.73%).
Protected areas
Lancaster County is home to Susquehannock State ParkSusquehannock State Park
Susquehannock State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Drumore Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is on a scenic plateau overlooking the Susquehanna River and Conowingo Reservoir. The park is named for the Susquehannock people, who lived in the area...
, located on 224 acres (90.6 ha) overlooking the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
in Drumore Township
Drumore Township, Pennsylvania
Drumore Township is a township in southwestern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 2,243.It is named after Dromore , County Down, Northern Ireland.-Geography:According to the U.S...
. One of the three tracts comprising William Penn State Forest, the 10 acres (4 ha) Cornwall fire tower site, is located in northern Penn Township
Penn Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Penn Township is a township in north central Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,312 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 29.6 mi²...
near the Lebanon County border. The site, with its 1923 fire tower, was acquired by the state in January, 1935.
There are also six Pennsylvania State Game Lands
Pennsylvania State Game Lands
The Pennsylvania State Game Lands are lands managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission for hunting, trapping, and fishing. These lands, often not usable for farming or development, are donated to the PGC or purchased by the PGC with hunting license monies.The Pennsylvania Game Commission runs a...
for hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
, trapping
Trapping (Animal)
Animal trapping, or simply trapping, is the use of a device to remotely catch an animal. Animals may be trapped for a variety of purposes, including food, wildlife management, hunting, and pest control...
, and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
located in Lancaster County. They are numbers (with location and area): 46 (near Hopeland
Hopeland, Pennsylvania
Hopeland is a small hamlet in Lancaster County in the south of the US state of Pennsylvania. It is between Ephrata and Lititz. The hamlet's ZIP code is 17533. Accomplished musician Kevin Schofield also resides here....
, 5035 acres (2,037.6 ha)), 52 (near Morgantown, 1447 acres (585.6 ha)), 136 (near Kirkwood, 91 acres (36.8 ha)), 156 (near Poplar Grove, 4537 acres (1,836.1 ha)), 220 (near Reinholds, 96 acres (38.8 ha)), and 288 (near Martic Forge, 89 acres (36 ha)).
The southern border of Lancaster county has some protected serpentine barrens, a rare ecosystem where toxic metals in the soil inhibit the growth of plants and lead to the formation of natural grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
and savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
. These barrens include the New Texas Serpentine Barrens, privately owned land managed by The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
, and Rock Springs Nature Preserve, a publicly accessible preserve with hiking trails owned and managed by the Lancaster County Conservancy.
Seismicity
The area falls along the general track of the Appalachian MountainsAppalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
along the east coast of the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. As such, residual seismic activity from ancient faulting occasionally produces minor earthquakes of magnitude 3 to 4. For example, on December 27, 2008, shortly after midnight, Lancaster County had a 3.3 magnitude earthquake which was widely felt in the Susquehanna Valley but caused no damage to structures.
Adjoining counties
Lancaster County is bounded to the north by Lebanon CountyLebanon County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 120,327 people and 32,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 332 people per square mile . There were 49,320 housing units at an average density of 136 per square mile...
, to the northeast by Berks County
Berks County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 per square mile...
, and to the east by Chester County
Chester County, Pennsylvania
-State parks:*French Creek State Park*Marsh Creek State Park*White Clay Creek Preserve-Demographics:As of the 2010 census, the county was 85.5% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were...
(the southeastern boundary with Chester County is formed by Octoraro Creek
Octoraro Creek
Octoraro Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, joining it above the Susquehanna's mouth at Chesapeake Bay. The Octoraro rises as an East and West Branch in Pennsylvania. The East Branch and Octoraro Creek form the southern half of the border between Lancaster and Chester counties until...
). To the south are Cecil
Cecil County, Maryland
Cecil County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is part of the Delaware Valley. It was named for Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore , who was the first Proprietary Governor of the colony of Maryland from 1632 until his death in 1675. The county seat is Elkton. The newspaper...
and Harford Counties
Harford County, Maryland
Harford County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 244,826. Its county seat is Bel Air. Harford County forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area.-History:...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
(across the Mason-Dixon line
Mason-Dixon line
The Mason–Dixon Line was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in the resolution of a border dispute between British colonies in Colonial America. It forms a demarcation line among four U.S. states, forming part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and...
). To the west is York County
York County, Pennsylvania
York County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 434,972. It is in the Susquehanna Valley, a large fertile agricultural region in South Central Pennsylvania....
(the boundary is the western shore of the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
). To the northwest is Dauphin County
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Dauphin County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of the three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 census, the population was 268,100. The county includes the city of Harrisburg, which has served as the state capital...
(the boundary is formed by Conewago Creek
Conewago Creek (east)
Conewago Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Lebanon, Dauphin, and Lancaster counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. The source is at an elevation of at Mount Gretna Heights in Lebanon County...
).
Transportation
Lying on the natural route from Philadelphia to the western part of Pennsylvania, Lancaster County has given rise to many improvements in transportation, among them the Philadelphia and Lancaster TurnpikePhiladelphia and Lancaster Turnpike
The Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike, first used in 1795, is the first long-distance paved road built in the United States, according to engineered plans and specifications. It links Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia at 34th Street, stretching for sixty-two miles. However, the western...
, later part of the Lincoln Highway
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...
, in 1794, a canal in 1820 and the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad in 1834.
Highways
Lancaster County's highways include the Pennsylvania Turnpike
Pennsylvania Turnpike
The Pennsylvania Turnpike is a toll highway system operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. The three sections of the turnpike system total . The main section extends from Ohio to New Jersey and is long...
(or Interstate 76
Interstate 76 (east)
Interstate 76 is an Interstate Highway in the United States, running 435 miles from an interchange with Interstate 71 west of Akron, Ohio, east to Interstate 295 near Camden, New Jersey....
), U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 30 is an east–west main route of the system of United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. It is the third longest U.S. route, after U.S. Route 20 and U.S. Route 6. The western end of the highway is at Astoria, Oregon; the...
(or the Lincoln Highway
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...
), U.S. Route 222, and U.S. Route 322
U.S. Route 322
U.S. Route 322 is a long, east–west United States Highway, traversing Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The road is a spur of U.S. Route 22 and one of the original highways from 1926...
. Pennsylvania State Routes in the county include: 10
Pennsylvania Route 10
Pennsylvania Route 10 is a long state route in southeastern Pennsylvania. PA 10 runs parallel to Interstate 176 for less than near Morgantown. Its southern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 472 in Oxford. Its northern terminus is at U.S...
, 23
Pennsylvania Route 23
Pennsylvania Route 23 is a state highway in southeastern Pennsylvania. The route begins at Pennsylvania Route 441 in Marietta and heads east to U.S. Route 1 in Philadelphia.-Marietta to Valley Forge:...
, 41
Pennsylvania Route 41
Pennsylvania Route 41 is a major long state highway located in southeastern Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is at the Delaware state line in New Garden Township, where it continues as Delaware Route 41. The northern terminus is at U.S...
, 72
Pennsylvania Route 72
Pennsylvania Route 72 is a long north–south state route located in southeast Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 222 and Pennsylvania Route 272 in downtown Lancaster. The northern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 443 north of Lickdale in Swatara Township.It...
, 230
Pennsylvania Route 230
Pennsylvania Route 230 is a state route in central Pennsylvania. Its western terminus is at an intersection with U.S. Route 22 in Harrisburg. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with Pennsylvania Route 283 near Salunga.-Route description:...
, 241
Pennsylvania Route 241
Pennsylvania Route 241 is a 23 mile long state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route runs from Pennsylvania Route 441 in Conoy Township, Lancaster County northeast to Pennsylvania Route 72 in the city of Lebanon in Lebanon County....
, 272
Pennsylvania Route 272
Pennsylvania Route 272 is a long highway in eastern Pennsylvania, in the Lancaster area. The southern terminus of the route is at the Mason-Dixon Line southeast of Nottingham, where it continues into Maryland as Maryland Route 272. The northern terminus is at U.S...
, 283
Pennsylvania Route 283
Pennsylvania Route 283 is a long state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It connects Harrisburg to Lancaster as a freeway, paralleling the old U.S. Route 230...
, 324
Pennsylvania Route 324
Pennsylvania Route 324 is a long state highway located in the western part of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at River Road in Martic Township. The northern terminus is at US 222/PA 272 in Lancaster...
, 340
Pennsylvania Route 340
Pennsylvania Route 340 is a long state highway located in Lancaster and Chester counties in Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 462 in Lancaster. The eastern terminus is at U.S...
, 372
Pennsylvania Route 372
Pennsylvania Route 372 is an east–west highway in York, Lancaster, and Chester counties. Its western terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 74 in Lower Chanceford Township north of Delta and west of Holtwood, and its eastern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 82 in Coatesville.-York and Lancaster...
, 441
Pennsylvania Route 441
Pennsylvania Route 441 is a long state route in central Pennsylvania and mostly parallels the Susquehanna River. The southern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 999 in the Manor Township hamlet of Washington Boro...
, 462
Pennsylvania Route 462
Pennsylvania Route 462 is a long east–west running local route in central Pennsylvania. The western terminus is west of York. The eastern terminus is east of Lancaster. At both ends, PA 462 terminates at U.S. Route 30, and all of the route was signed as U.S. Route 30 before a freeway was...
, 472
Pennsylvania Route 472
Pennsylvania Route 472 is a north–south highway in Lancaster and Chester counties. Its northern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 372 in Quarryville, and its southern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 841 in Lewisville north of the Maryland border....
, 501
Pennsylvania Route 501
Pennsylvania Route 501 is a north–south state highway in south central Pennsylvania that runs for . Its southern terminus is at U.S. Route 222 and Pennsylvania Route 272 north of Lancaster, and its northern terminus is Pennsylvania Route 895 southeast of Pine Grove...
, 625
Pennsylvania Route 625
Pennsylvania Route 625 is a long state route in east central Pennsylvania, United States. The southern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 23 in East Earl Township. The northern terminus is U.S. Route 222 Business in Reading.-Lancaster County:...
, 741
Pennsylvania Route 741
Pennsylvania Route 741 is a long state highway that runs through western and southern Lancaster County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The eastern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 41 in Gap...
, 743
Pennsylvania Route 743
Pennsylvania Route 743, PA 743, is a north–south state route located in central Pennsylvania. The northern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 443 one mile west of the East Hanover Township hamlet of Grantville. The southern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 441 in Marietta...
, 772
Pennsylvania Route 772
Pennsylvania Route 772 or is an east–west long state highway located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is a scenic alternative to U.S. Route 30 as it roughly parallels the main highway to the north. The highway is mostly named Newport Road...
, 896
Pennsylvania Route 896
Pennsylvania Route 896 is a north–south state highway located in the counties of Lancaster and Chester in southeastern Pennsylvania. The northern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 340 in the East Lampeter Township hamlet of Smoketown, just east of Lancaster. The southern terminus is at the...
, 897
Pennsylvania Route 897
Pennsylvania Route 897 is a long north–south route in eastern Pennsylvania, United States. The southern terminus is at an intersection with U.S. Route 30 in Gap. The northern terminus is at U.S. Route 422 east of Lebanon. Like most Pennsylvania highways, PA 897 has no expressway...
, and 999
Pennsylvania Route 999
Pennsylvania Route 999 is a long, east–west state highway located in western Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at PA 441, which has its southern terminus at this intersection, in Washington Boro. The eastern terminus is at PA 462 in Lancaster. It is the highest numbered...
.
Current railroads
As of 2006, passenger service in Lancaster County is provided by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, whose Keystone Corridor
Keystone Corridor
The Keystone Corridor is a Federal Railroad Administration "designated high speed corridor" with a 349-mile railroad line between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a top speed of...
passes through the county, with stops at Lancaster
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
, Mount Joy
Mount Joy, Pennsylvania
Mount Joy is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,765 at the 2000 census.-Name and origin:Mount Joy is often named in lists of "delightfully-named towns" in Pennsylvania Dutchland, along with Intercourse, Blue Ball, PenisPallooza, Amish Land, Dick-in-Hand...
and Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
Elizabethtown is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Harrisburg. Small factories existed at the turn of the century when the population in 1900 was 1,861. There was a slight increase in the next decade, with 1,970 people living in Elizabethtown in 1910. As of the 2000 census,...
. A station is planned at Paradise
Paradise, Pennsylvania
Paradise is a census-designated place in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States with a zip code of 17562. The population was 1,028 at the 2000 census....
to provide connecting service with the Strasburg Railroad
Strasburg Rail Road
The Strasburg Rail Road is a heritage railroad located near Strasburg, Pennsylvania. It operates excursion trains hauled by steam locomotives in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country.Across the street lies the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania...
, which runs passenger excursions from nearby Leaman Place
Leaman Place, Pennsylvania
Leaman Place is a named place in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. Leaman Place is known mostly as a whistle-stop. President Abraham Lincoln spoke at this station on February 22, 1861 to a crowd of 5,000. In 1968, Democrat Hubert H...
to Strasburg
Strasburg, Pennsylvania
Strasburg is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. It developed as a linear village along the Great Conestoga Road, stretching about two miles along path later known as the Strasburg Road...
.
The principal freight operator in the county is Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
(NS). The NS main line follows the Susquehanna River (with trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
for Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
(CPR)), and leaves the county by crossing the river on Shocks Mills Bridge
Shocks Mills Bridge
Shocks Mills Bridge carries tracks of the Norfolk Southern Railway over the Susquehanna River between Marietta, Pennsylvania and Wago Junction, Pennsylvania.-Construction:...
near Marietta
Marietta, Pennsylvania
Marietta is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,689 at the 2000 census. It is located on the east bank of the Susquehanna River just north of Columbia.-Geography:Marietta is located at ....
. NS also has trackage rights over the Keystone Corridor, to which it is connected by the Royalton Branch, which runs north along the river from the main line at Marietta, and the Columbia Branch, which runs from the Corridor at Dillerville
Dillerville, Pennsylvania
Dillerville is an extinct hamlet in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States.Dillerville was established between the Harrisburg and Manheim pikes, at the intersection of the Lancaster and Reading railroads....
to the main line at Columbia
Columbia, Pennsylvania
Columbia, once colonial Wright's Ferry, is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 28 miles southeast of Harrisburg on the left bank Susquehanna River across from Wrightsville and York County. Originally, the area may have been called Conejohela Flats, for the many islands and islets in the...
. Two other NS branches originate on the Corridor: the Lititz Secondary, which runs from Dillerville to Manheim
Manheim, Pennsylvania
Manheim is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,784 at the 2000 census.-General information:*ZIP code: 17545*Area code: 717*Education: Manheim Central School District and Manheim Central High School-History:...
and ends at Lititz
Lititz, Pennsylvania
Lititz is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 6 miles north of the city of Lancaster.-History:Lititz was founded by members of the Moravian Church in 1756, and was named after a castle in Bohemia near the village of Kunvald where the ancient Bohemian Brethren's Church had...
, and the New Holland Industrial, which leaves the Corridor around the east end of Lancaster to run east to New Holland
New Holland, Pennsylvania
New Holland is a borough in Lancaster County in Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 5,092 at the 2000 census. New Holland was settled in 1728 by John Michael and John Phillip Ranc . Before it became known as New Holland, it had been called Hog Swamp, Earltown and New Design...
and ends at East Earl.
Several shortlines also operate in the county. With the exception of the Strasburg Railroad, all are freight railroads. The East Penn Railroad
East Penn Railroad
The East Penn Railroad is a short-line railroad that operates a number of mostly-unconnected lines in the U.S. states of Pennsylvania and Delaware...
(ESPN) operates on a spur off the NS branch to Manheim, and on a longer line in the northeast corner of Lancaster County into Berks County. Landisville Terminal and Transfer Company (LNTV) operates on a spur off the Amtrak line at Landisville. The Tyburn Railroad operates some trackage around Dillerville. Most recently, the Columbia and Reading Railway (CORY) began operating on 2.5 miles (4 km) of track in Columbia in January 2010.
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Lancaster Airport
Lancaster Airport (Pennsylvania)
Lancaster Airport is a public airport located four miles north of the central business district of Lancaster, a city in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA. The airport covers and has two runways. It is mostly used for general aviation but is also served by one commercial airline and one...
is the only airport in the county with scheduled service, though Smoketown Airport
Smoketown Airport
Smoketown Airport is an airport open to the public, located in Smoketown, east of Lancaster, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA. The airport is owned by Marlin Horst and managed by Mel Glick. The FAA reports an average of 74 aircraft operations per day and also reports that there are 86...
also serves general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
.
Flora and fauna
The bog turtleBog turtle
The bog turtle is a semiaquatic turtle endemic to the eastern United States. It was first scientifically described in 1801 after an 18th century survey of Pennsylvania. It is the smallest North American turtle, measuring about long when fully grown...
was first discovered and identified by science in Lancaster County by botanist Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg
Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg
Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg was an American clergyman and botanist.-Biography:The son of Heinrich Melchior Muhlenberg, he was born in Trappe, Pennsylvania. He was educated at in Halle starting in 1763 and in 1769 at the University of Halle. He returned to Pennsylvania in September 1770...
. Muhlenberg discovered the turtle species accidentally while he was conducting a survey of the flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
in Lancaster County. The species was named Muhlenberg's tortoise in 1801, but renamed bog turtle, its present common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
, in 1956.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 470,658 people, 172,560 households, and 124,070 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 496 people per square mile (191/km²). There were 179,990 housing units at an average density of 190 per square mile (73/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.46% White, 2.76% African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.45% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.90% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.68% of the population.
There were 172,560 households out of which 33.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.90% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 23.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.60% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 28.30% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.60 males.
5.58% of the population reported speaking Pennsylvania German
Pennsylvania German language
The Pennsylvania German language is a variety of West Central German possibly spoken by more than 250,000 people in North America...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, or Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
at home, while a further 4.97% spoke Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. 39.8% were of German, 11.8% United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
or American, 7.2% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
and 5.7% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
ancestry according to the United States Census, 2000
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
According to official Census Bureau estimates, the county's population had grown to 490,562 by 2005.
Dialect
Some inhabitants of Lancaster County speak with a Pennsylvania Dutch influenced dialect. This dialect is most commonly used in the Lancaster, Lebanon, York, and Harrisburg areas, and incorporates influences from the Pennsylvania DutchPennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch refers to immigrants and their descendants from southwestern Germany and Switzerland who settled in Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries...
to include not only dialect but also in nomenclature. But the main difference and what people take notice of from outside the area is the PA Dutch English that people from Lancaster York Harrisburg use.
Economy
In 2004, the county had a per capita personal income (PCPI) of $30,790, only 93% of the national average. This reflects a growth of 4.5% from the prior year, versus a 5.0% growth for the nation as a whole. Despite the lower income, the county poverty rate in 2003 was just 8.3% compared to a national rate of 12.5%. In 2004, federal spending in Lancaster County was $4,199 per resident, versus a national average of $7,232.In 2005, Lancaster County was 10th of all counties in Pennsylvania with 17.7% of its workforce employed in manufacturing; the state averages 13.7%, and the leader, Crawford County
Crawford County, Pennsylvania
Crawford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 88,765.Crawford County was created on March 12, 1800, from part of Allegheny County and named for Colonel William Crawford...
, has only 25.1%.
Lancaster County lags in information workers, despite being the corporate headquarters of MapQuest
MapQuest
MapQuest is an American free online web mapping service owned by AOL. The company was founded in 1967 as Cartographic Services, a division of R.R. Donnelley & Sons in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1969. When it became an independent company in 1994, it was...
. It ranks 31st in the state with only 1.3% of the workforce; the state as a whole employs 2.1% in information technology.
The county ranks 11th in the state in managerial and financial workers, despite having only 12.5% of the workforce in those occupations (versus the state average of 12.8%). The state leaders are Chester County
Chester County, Pennsylvania
-State parks:*French Creek State Park*Marsh Creek State Park*White Clay Creek Preserve-Demographics:As of the 2010 census, the county was 85.5% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were...
with 20.5% and Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...
with 18.5%.
With only 17.3% working in the professions, Lancaster County is 31st in Pennsylvania,
compared to a state average of 21.5%. Centre County
Centre County, Pennsylvania
Centre County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 153,990....
leads with 31.8%, undoubtedly due to Penn State
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
's giant footprint in an otherwise rural county, but the upscale Philadelphia suburbs of Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...
give them 27.2%.
Lancaster County ranks even lower, 34th, in service workers, with 13.3% of the workforce, compared to a state average of 15.8%. Philadelphia County
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
-History:Tribes of Lenape were the first known occupants in the area which became Philadelphia County. The first European settlers were Swedes and Finns who arrived in 1638. The Netherlands seized the area in 1655, but permanently lost control to England in 1674...
, leads with 20.5%.
Lancaster County has an unemployment rate of 7.8% as of August 2010. This is a rise from a rate of 7.6% the previous year.
There are 11,000 companies in Lancaster County. The county's largest manufacturing and distributing employers at the end of 2003 were Acme Markets, Alumax Mill Products, Anvil International, Armstrong World Industries
Armstrong World Industries
Armstrong World Industries, Inc. is an international designer and manufacturer of floors, ceilings and cabinets. Based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Armstrong operates 40 plants in 10 countries and has approximately 12,300 employees worldwide. In 2006, Armstrong’s net sales were $3.42 billion, with...
, Bollman Hat
Kangol
Kangol is a British clothing company famous for its headwear.Founded in Cleator, Cumbria, England in 1938 by Jaques Spreiregen, Kangol produced hats for workers, golfers, and especially soldiers...
, CNH Global
CNH Global
CNH Global N.V. is a global, full line company operating in both the agricultural and construction equipment industries. CNH's scope includes integrated engineering, manufacturing, marketing and distribution of equipment on five continents...
, Conestoga Wood Specialties
Conestoga Wood Specialties
Conestoga Wood Specialties is a manufacturer of wood doors and components for kitchen, bath and furniture, based in East Earl, Pennsylvania. They have seven factories, located in Arkansas, Maryland, North Carolina, Utah, and Pennsylvania, employing about 2100....
, Dart Container
Dart Container
Dart Container Corporation of Mason, Michigan, United States is the world's largest manufacturer of foam cups and containers, producing about as many as all competitors combined.-Company history:...
, High Industries, Lancaster Laboratories
Lancaster Laboratories
Lancaster Laboratories Inc., is one of the largest contract laboratories in the United States. They specialize in pharmaceutical and environmental analytical services....
, Pepperidge Farm
Pepperidge Farm
Pepperidge Farm is a commercial bakery in the U.S. founded in 1937 by Margaret Rudkin, who named the brand after her family's property in Fairfield, Connecticut, which in turn was named for the pepperidge tree, Nyssa sylvatica. Since 1961, the company has been owned by the Campbell Soup Company...
, R R Donnelley & Sons, The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company, known until April 2005 as the Hershey Foods Corporation and commonly called Hershey's, is the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America. Its headquarters are in Hershey, Pennsylvania, which is also home to Hershey's Chocolate World. It was founded by Milton S...
, Tyco Electronics
Tyco Electronics
TE Connectivity, Ltd., previously known as Tyco Electronics, Ltd., and formerly a segment of Tyco International, is a leading global provider of engineered electronic components, network solutions, undersea telecommunication systems, and specialty products for customers in more than 150 countries...
, Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods, Inc. is a multinational corporation based in Springdale, Arkansas, that operates in the food industry. The company is the world's second largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork only behind Brazilian JBS S.A., and annually exports the largest percentage of beef out of...
, Warner-Lambert, and Yellow Transportation.
Auntie Anne's
Auntie Anne's
Auntie Anne's, based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is an American chain of pretzel bakeries founded by Anne F. Beiler and her husband, Jonas, in 1988. Auntie Anne's serves products such as pretzels, dips, and beverages...
, Clipper Magazine
Clipper Magazine
Clipper Magazine is a corporation that produces coupon and advertisement magazines in over 405 individual markets in 26 states. The company started in 1983 as a student business at Franklin & Marshall College, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, by Steve Zuckerman, Ian Ruzow, and Bob Zuckerman. The...
, Lancaster Farming
Lancaster Farming
Lancaster Farming is the leading regional farm newspaper for the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States.It has published weekly on Saturday since 1955. Paid circulation is about 55,000. The newspaper shares offices and printing facilities with the Ephrata Review and The Lititz Record-Express...
, MapQuest
MapQuest
MapQuest is an American free online web mapping service owned by AOL. The company was founded in 1967 as Cartographic Services, a division of R.R. Donnelley & Sons in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1969. When it became an independent company in 1994, it was...
, Turkey Hill Dairy, Clair Brothers, and Wilbur Chocolate Company
Wilbur Chocolate Company
The Wilbur Chocolate Company is a chocolate manufacturing company located in Lititz, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1865 by Henry Oscar Wilbur and Samuel Croft...
are Lancaster County-based organizations with an economic footprint of regional or national significance.
Herley Industries
Herley Industries
Herley Industries , based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is an American company that specializes in supplying microwave and millimeter wave products to defense and aerospace industries. They provide solutions for radars, flight instrumentation, weapon sensors, electronic warfare systems and guidance...
is a local producer of microwave and millimeter wave products for the defense and aerospace industries.
Agriculture
With the most fertile non-irrigated soil in the U.S., Lancaster County has a strong farming industry. Lancaster County's 5293 farms, generating $800 million in food, feed and fiber, are responsible for nearly a fifth of the state's agricultural output. Chester County, with their high-value mushroom farms, is second, with $375 million.Livestock-raising is responsible for $710 million of that $800 million, with dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
accounting for $266 million, poultry
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
and egg
Egg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
s accounting for $258 million. Cattle
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
and swine
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
each account for about $90 million.
Agriculture is likely to remain an important part of Lancaster County: almost exactly half of Lancaster County's land – 320000 acres (129,499.5 ha) – is zoned for agriculture, and of those, 276000 acres (111,693.3 ha) are "effective agricultural zoning", requiring at least 20 acres (8.1 ha) per residence.
Tourism
Tourism is a significant industry in Lancaster County, employing 47,000.American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, but it didn't really take off until the 1920s, when the Lincoln Highway
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...
was built. A New York Times travel article in 1952 brought 25,000 visitors, and the 1955 Broadway musical Plain and Fancy
Plain and Fancy
Plain and Fancy is a musical comedy with a book by Joseph Stein and Will Glickman, lyrics by Arnold Horwitt, and music by Albert Hague. One of the first depictions of an Amish community in American pop culture, it includes a traditional barn-raising and an old-fashioned country...
brought even more, but tourism tapered off, after the 1974 gas rationing
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
and the Three Mile Island incident led to five years of stagnation.
Local tourism officials viewed it as deus ex machina
Deus ex machina
A deus ex machina is a plot device whereby a seemingly inextricable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object.-Linguistic considerations:...
when Hollywood stepped in to rescue their industry. Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in...
, in the popular 1985 movie Witness
Witness (1985 film)
Witness is a 1985 American thriller film directed by Peter Weir and starring Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis. The screenplay by William Kelley, Pamela Wallace, and Earl W...
, played John Book, a Philadelphia detective who in turn played "Plain" in order to protect Samuel Lapp, an Old Order Amish boy who has witnessed a murder. Predictably, John Book falls in love with Rachel Lapp, the boy's widowed mother; the movie is less a thriller than a romance about the difficulties faced by an English man in love with a Plain widow. The film was nominated for eight Oscars, and won two. However, the real winner was Lancaster County tourism, as movie-goers found themselves intrigued by the Plain.
Once again, especially after the 9/11 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, tourism in Lancaster County has shifted. Instead of families arriving for a 3–4 day stay for a general visit, now tourists arrive for a specific event, whether it be the rhubarb festival, the "maize maze", to see Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue...
, for Sertoma
Sertoma International
Sertoma Inc., formerly known as Sertoma International, is an organization of service clubs founded on April 11, 1912. The name is an acronym for Service to Mankind. Sertoma has clubs all over the United States and in Canada...
's annual "World's Largest Chicken Barbecue" or for the latest show at Sight & Sound Theatres
Sight & Sound Theatres
Sight & Sound Theatres is a Christian theater company based in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, operating the Millennium Theatre and Living Waters Theatre in Strasburg, Pennsylvania....
. The tourism industry is discouraged by this change, but not despondent:
Covered bridge
A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...
s by publishing driving tours of the bridges. At over 200 bridges still in existence, Pennsylvania has more covered bridges than anywhere else in the world, and at 29 covered bridges, Lancaster County has the largest share.
The Lancaster County Convention Center Authority http://www.lccca.com/ is building a controversial $170 million convention center in downtown Lancaster on the site of the former Watt & Shand building. The project's supporters believe it would promote the revitalization of the city's center. Its opponents, however, feel it poses an unacceptable risk to taxpayers.
Other tourist attractions include the American Music Theatre, Dutch Wonderland
Dutch Wonderland
Dutch Wonderland is a amusement park just east of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, appealing primarily to families with small children. The park's theme is a "Kingdom for Kids." The entrance to the park has a real stone castle façade, which was built by Earl Clark, a potato farmer, before he opened the...
, Ephrata Cloister
Ephrata Cloister
The Ephrata Cloister or Ephrata Community was a religious community, established in 1732 by Johann Conrad Beissel at Ephrata, in what is now Lancaster County, Pennsylvania...
, Ephrata Fair
Ephrata Fair
The Ephrata Fair is held each year in Ephrata, Lancaster County, and is the largest street fair in Pennsylvania.In 2010, the 92nd Annual fair was held on September 21 - 25, 2010.-History:...
, Hans Herr House
Hans Herr
Hans Herr was born in Zürich, Switzerland, a descendant of the Knight, Hugo Herr. He joined the religious society...
, Landis Valley Museum
Landis Valley Museum
Landis Valley Museum is a nationally significant living history museum in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA. It collects, conserves, exhibits, and interprets Pennsylvania German material, culture, history and heritage from 1740 through 1940. The museum was founded by the Landis brothers--Henry K...
, Pennsylvania Dutch Country
Pennsylvania Dutch Country
Pennsylvania Dutch Country refers to an area of southeastern Pennsylvania, United States that by the American Revolution had a high percentage of Pennsylvania Dutch inhabitants. Religiously, there was a large portion of Lutherans. There were also German Reformed, Moravian, Amish, Mennonite and...
, Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire
Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire
The Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire is a Renaissance fair occurring over 12 weekends from early-August through late-October on the grounds of the Mount Hope Estate and Winery in Manheim, Pennsylvania...
(one of the largest Renaissance fair
Renaissance Fair
A Renaissance fair, Renaissance faire, or Renaissance festival is an outdoor weekend gathering, usually held in the United States, open to the public and typically commercial in nature, which emulates a historic period for the amusement of its guests. Some are permanent theme parks, others are...
s in the world), Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is a railroad museum in Strasburg, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.The museum is located on the east side of Strasburg along Pennsylvania Route 741...
, Rock Ford plantation
Rock Ford plantation
The Rock Ford Plantation or the General Edward Hand House is a historic house in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 21, 1976...
, Robert Fulton Birthplace
Robert Fulton
Robert Fulton was an American engineer and inventor who is widely credited with developing the first commercially successful steamboat...
, Sight & Sound Theatres
Sight & Sound Theatres
Sight & Sound Theatres is a Christian theater company based in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, operating the Millennium Theatre and Living Waters Theatre in Strasburg, Pennsylvania....
, Strasburg Railroad
Strasburg Rail Road
The Strasburg Rail Road is a heritage railroad located near Strasburg, Pennsylvania. It operates excursion trains hauled by steam locomotives in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country.Across the street lies the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania...
, Wilbur Chocolate, and Sturgis Pretzel House
Sturgis Pretzel House
The Sturgis Pretzel House of Lititz, Pennsylvania, founded in 1861, is the oldest commercial pretzel bakery in the United States. The bakery remains active in pretzel production and is a tourist attraction.- History :...
. There are many tours of this historic area including the Downtown Lancaster Walking Tour.
Municipalities
Boroughs
Christiana, PennsylvaniaChristiana, Pennsylvania
Christiana is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,124 at the 2000 census. In 1851 it was the site of the Battle of Christiana .-Geography:...
is the least populated borough in Lancaster County, as of 2010. Ephrata is the most populous.
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Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania Elizabethtown is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Harrisburg. Small factories existed at the turn of the century when the population in 1900 was 1,861. There was a slight increase in the next decade, with 1,970 people living in Elizabethtown in 1910. As of the 2000 census,... Ephrata, Pennsylvania Ephrata is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, south east of Harrisburg and about west by north of Philadelphia. It is named after Ephrath, a biblical town in what is now Israel. Ephrata's sister city is Eberbach, Germany, the city where its founders originated. In its... Lititz, Pennsylvania Lititz is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 6 miles north of the city of Lancaster.-History:Lititz was founded by members of the Moravian Church in 1756, and was named after a castle in Bohemia near the village of Kunvald where the ancient Bohemian Brethren's Church had... Manheim, Pennsylvania Manheim is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,784 at the 2000 census.-General information:*ZIP code: 17545*Area code: 717*Education: Manheim Central School District and Manheim Central High School-History:... |
Marietta, Pennsylvania Marietta is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,689 at the 2000 census. It is located on the east bank of the Susquehanna River just north of Columbia.-Geography:Marietta is located at .... Millersville, Pennsylvania Millersville is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 7,774.-Geography:Millersville is located at .... Mount Joy, Pennsylvania Mount Joy is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,765 at the 2000 census.-Name and origin:Mount Joy is often named in lists of "delightfully-named towns" in Pennsylvania Dutchland, along with Intercourse, Blue Ball, PenisPallooza, Amish Land, Dick-in-Hand... Mountville, Pennsylvania Mountville is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,444 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mountville is located at .... |
New Holland, Pennsylvania New Holland is a borough in Lancaster County in Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 5,092 at the 2000 census. New Holland was settled in 1728 by John Michael and John Phillip Ranc . Before it became known as New Holland, it had been called Hog Swamp, Earltown and New Design... Quarryville, Pennsylvania Quarryville is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,994 at the 2000 census.-General information:*ZIP code: 17566*Area code: 717*Local phone exchanges: 786, 806*Named for noted quarries in the area... Strasburg, Pennsylvania Strasburg is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. It developed as a linear village along the Great Conestoga Road, stretching about two miles along path later known as the Strasburg Road... Terre Hill, Pennsylvania Terre Hill is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,237 at the 2000 census, which rose to 1,261, as of July 2008.-History:... |
Townships
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Elizabeth Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Elizabeth Township is a township in north central Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,833 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... |
Lancaster Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Lancaster Township is a civil township of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is in the central area and it immediately surrounds Lancaster City... Manheim Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Manheim Township is a township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania established in 1729, which southernmost border meets the city limits of Lancaster. The population as of the 2000 census was 33,697.-Government:... Manor Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Manor Township is a township in west central Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. Manor Township takes its name from the Manor of Conestoga, which was originally surveyed and reserved for William Penn in 1719. It was changed to its present form in 1759... |
Mount Joy Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Mount Joy Township is a township in northwestern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,944 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... Paradise Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Paradise Township is a township in east central Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,698 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... Penn Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Penn Township is a township in north central Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,312 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 29.6 mi²... Sadsbury Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Sadsbury Township is a township in east central Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,025 at the 2000 census.-History:... Salisbury Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Salisbury Township is a township in east central Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 10,012 at the 2000 census.Salisbury Township was carved out of Pequea Township in 1729 and named for Salisbury, England... |
Warwick Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Warwick Township is a township in north central Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 15,475 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... |
Census-designated places
Census-designated placeCensus-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
s are geographical areas designated by the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law.
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Reamstown, Pennsylvania Reamstown is a census-designated place in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,498 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... Rheems, Pennsylvania Rheems is a census-designated place in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States situated between the boroughs of Elizabethtown and Mount Joy... Rothsville, Pennsylvania Rothsville is a census-designated place in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,017 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rothsville is located at .... Salunga-Landisville, Pennsylvania Salunga-Landisville is a census-designated place in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States with a zip code of 17538. The population was 4,771 at the 2000 census. The name "Salunga" comes from the nearby Chiquesalunga Creek, which in turn is derived from the Lenape "Chiquesalunga", meaning... Willow Street, Pennsylvania Willow Street is a census-designated place in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,258 at the 2000 census. In the early part of the 20th century the main thoroughfare in town was lined with Willow trees on both sides for the length of the town. The community received... |
Other communities
Many communities are neither incorporated nor treated as census-designated places.
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Churchtown, Pennsylvania Churchtown, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community located in Caernarvon Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Churchtown is located along Pennsylvania Route 23.... Cocalico, Pennsylvania Cocalico is an unincorporated community located within West Cocalico Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. Cocalico is located at the junction of Pennsylvania Route 897 and Cocalico Road.... Conestoga, Pennsylvania Conestoga, Pennsylvania is a small community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in the United States.Conestoga was first called Conestoga Manor by William Penn. The name came from the Conestoga Indians, a peaceful Christian tribe, whose principal village was located nearby... Creswell, Pennsylvania Creswell is an unincorporated community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States.-References:... Dillerville, Pennsylvania Dillerville is an extinct hamlet in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States.Dillerville was established between the Harrisburg and Manheim pikes, at the intersection of the Lancaster and Reading railroads.... Elm, Pennsylvania Elm is an unincorporated village in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The community is in the Lancaster metropolitan area and in the Eastern Standard time zone.... Falmouth, Pennsylvania Falmouth, Pennsylvania is a small unincorporated community located within Conoy Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Falmouth is most famous for its New Years Eve celebration, in which a stuffed goat is lowered at midnight.... Farmersville, Pennsylvania Farmersville is a rural Mennonite settlement located southeast of the borough of Ephrata in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is an unincorporated locality located in West Earl Township, Pennsylvania. Farmersville is near no major roads, with the town being defined as around the intersection of... |
Fivepointville, Pennsylvania Fivepointville, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community located in Brecknock Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The town is named for its position at an intersection of five separate roads, including Pennsylvania Route 897. It is located just north of Terre Hill, Pennsylvania. The... Georgetown, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Georgetown is a small, unincorporated community located in Bart Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is located approximately 54 miles from Philadelphia... Goodville, Pennsylvania Goodville, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community located in East Earl Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Goodville is located along Pennsylvania Route 23.... Gordonville, Pennsylvania Gordonville, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated place or village in Leacock Township in eastern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA. The village is located about nine miles east of the county seat of Lancaster, two miles southwest of the village of Intercourse, one mile north of Paradise, and... Hempfield, Pennsylvania Hempfield, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Hempfield is a tiny locale in West Hempfield Township a few miles west of Lancaster, Pennsylvania at 40°03'17" north latitude, 76°26'20" west longitude.-History:... Hinkletown, Pennsylvania Hinkletown, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community located in Earl Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Hinkletown is located along U.S. Route 322.... Holtwood, Pennsylvania Holtwood, Pennsylvania is a village in Martic Township, Lancaster County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.Holtwood is the site of the Muddy Run Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Plant , along the Susquehanna River... |
Hopeland, Pennsylvania Hopeland is a small hamlet in Lancaster County in the south of the US state of Pennsylvania. It is between Ephrata and Lititz. The hamlet's ZIP code is 17533. Accomplished musician Kevin Schofield also resides here.... Intercourse, Pennsylvania Intercourse, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated village in Leacock Township, Lancaster County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, ten miles east of Lancaster on PA 340. As with the nearby towns of Bird-in-Hand, Blue Ball, and Paradise, Intercourse is a popular site for tourists because of its... Kinzers, Pennsylvania Kinzers, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community located in Salisbury Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Kinzers is located along U.S. Route 30.... Kirkwood, Pennsylvania Kirkwood is a farming town located in Colerain Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, in the Lancaster Metro area, in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, near the Chester County border. The zip code is 17536.... Kissel Hill, Pennsylvania Kissel Hill, Pennsylvania is a very small unincorporated community located in Warwick Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Kissel Hill is located just south of Lititz.... Lampeter, Pennsylvania Lampeter, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community located in West Lampeter Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with a zip code of 17537. The community is located along Pennsylvania Route 741, west of Strasburg. It is a suburb of Lancaster City, Pennsylvania.-Neighborhoods:Lampeter... Leaman Place, Pennsylvania Leaman Place is a named place in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. Leaman Place is known mostly as a whistle-stop. President Abraham Lincoln spoke at this station on February 22, 1861 to a crowd of 5,000. In 1968, Democrat Hubert H... |
Lyndon, Pennsylvania Lyndon, Pennsylvania is a very small unincorporated community located in West Lampeter Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Lyndon is located just south of the city of Lancaster along U.S. Route 222.... Martindale, Pennsylvania Martindale, Pennsylvania is a small unincorporated community located in Earl Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.The center of Martindale is located at the intersection of Martindale Road and Gristmill Road. Eby's General Store currently sits at this intersection.... Mastersonville, Pennsylvania Mastersonville, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community located in Rapho Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.... Mechanics Grove, Pennsylvania Mechanics Grove is an unincorporated community located within East Drumore Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Mechanic Grove is located along U.S. Route 222 south of the town of Quarryville.... New Danville, Pennsylvania New Danville, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community located in Pequea Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.... Neffsville, Pennsylvania Neffsville, Pennsylvania is a suburban community in Manheim Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Being unincorporated, Neffsville has no boundaries. The US Geological Survey Place Names database locates Neffsville at 40°6'0"N 76°18'20"W... Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania is a hamlet in Bart Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA.The nickel mines that give the town its name were worked in a deposit of sulfide ore, principally millerite. The mines were originally opened in the early 18th century for copper, but were given up as... |
Penryn, Pennsylvania Penryn, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community located in Penn Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.... Pequea, Pennsylvania Pequea, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community located in Martic Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The zip code is 17565.-See also:*Pequea Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania*Pequea Creek*Pekowi... Refton, Pennsylvania Refton, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community located in Strasburg Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with a zip code of 17568. The community is located along U.S. Route 222.... Reinholds, Pennsylvania Reinholds is an unincorporated community located within West Cocalico Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States.Reinholds school district is cocalico.... Ronks, Pennsylvania Ronks is a small farming community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, just west of Paradise, Pennsylvania. The town is most famous as being the home of Ronks Concrete Company. The community is home to several Amish themed tourist attractions, shops, restaurants, and lodging lining the Lincoln Highway... Safe Harbor, Pennsylvania Safe Harbor, Pennsylvania is a small unincorporated community located within Conestoga Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA.The general location was an early staging area for native American tribes traversing the Susquehanna River from the settlements surrounding Conestoga and present... Schoeneck, Pennsylvania Schoeneck, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community located within West Cocalico Township in Lancaster County. Schoeneck is a corruption of the Pennsylvania Dutch phrase Scheenous Eck, which translates to "pretty corner."... |
Silver Spring, Pennsylvania Silver Spring, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community located in West Hempfield Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The community is located along Pennsylvania Route 23.- About the Village :... Smoketown, Pennsylvania Smoketown is a small farming village in East Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, west of Bird-in-Hand at the intersection of Pennsylvania Route 340 and Pennsylvania Route 896 . Also known as Smoke Town, it is served by the Smoketown Airport... Stevens, Pennsylvania Stevens, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA. The Stevens post office is zip code 17578. Stevens was named in honor of Thaddeus Stevens.-Local businesses:... Talmage, Pennsylvania Talmage, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community located within West Earl Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The main route through Brownstown is Pennsylvania Route 772, which runs through the center of town. Talmage is located just east of Brownstown.... Wakefield, Pennsylvania Wakefield, Pennsylvania is a small unincorporated community located within Fulton Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is located at the junction of Pennsylvania Route 272 and U.S. Route 222.... Washington Boro, Pennsylvania Washington Boro is an unincorporated community in Manor Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, along the Susquehanna River. The zip code here is 17582... White Horse, Pennsylvania White Horse, Pennsylvania is a small unincorporated community located within Salisbury Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.White Horse sits at the junction of the Philadelphia Pike , west of the village of Intercourse and Pennsylvania Route 897.-External links:*... |
Education
The colleges of Lancaster County are Elizabethtown CollegeElizabethtown College
Elizabethtown College is a small comprehensive college located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania in Lancaster County. The school was founded in 1899 by members of the Church of the Brethren...
, Franklin & Marshall College
Franklin & Marshall College
Franklin & Marshall College is a four-year private co-educational residential national liberal arts college in the Northwest Corridor neighborhood of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States....
, Harrisburg Area Community College
Harrisburg Area Community College
HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College is a community college in the United States serving the greater Harrisburg, Pennsylvania metropolitan area. HACC is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools...
, Lancaster Bible College
Lancaster Bible College
Lancaster Bible College is a private, coeducational Bible college and graduate school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania that "exists to educate Christian students to think and live a biblical worldview and to proclaim Christ by serving him in the Church and society."Traditional undergraduate students...
, Lancaster Theological Seminary
Lancaster Theological Seminary
Lancaster Theological Seminary, a seminary of the United Church of Christ in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was founded in 1825 by members of the German Reformed Church in the United States to provide theological education for prospective clergy and other church leaders...
, Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Millersville University of Pennsylvania is a public university in Millersville, Pennsylvania, USA, 3 miles southwest of Lancaster. Millersville University is a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.-History:...
, Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
The Pennsylvania College of Art & Design is a professional art college located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania USA.The college offers Bachelor of Fine Arts programs in fine arts, graphic design, illustration, and photography...
, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology is a two-year co-educational technical college that provides an education in twenty two programs for about 800 students. It was named for Thaddeus Stevens, a nineteenth-century politician. The school was founded in 1905.Stevens is located in southeastern...
and Lancaster General College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Lancaster General College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Lancaster General College of Nursing & Health Sciences is a private, co-educational, Middle States-accredited, four-year college offering a variety of associate and baccalaureate degree programs as well as certificate programs in healthcare. It is located at 410 N. Lime Street in Lancaster,...
.
- CocalicoCocalico School DistrictThe Cocalico School District is a school district of 3531 students educated in six schools by 209 teachers in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is a member of Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13. The school district covers the Boroughs of Denver and Adamstown and East...
- Columbia BoroughColumbia Borough School DistrictThe Columbia Borough School District is a diminutive, urban, public school district serving the Borough of Columbia in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Columbia Borough School District encompasses approximately 2 square miles. According to 2000 federal census data, it serves a resident population of...
- Conestoga ValleyConestoga Valley School DistrictThe Conestoga Valley School District is a school district covering East Lampeter Township, Upper Leacock Township and West Earl Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is a member of Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13...
- DonegalDonegal School DistrictThe Donegal School District is a school district covering the Boroughs of Marietta and Mount Joy and East Donegal Township and the southern portion of Mount Joy Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is a member of Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13...
- Eastern Lancaster CountyEastern Lancaster County School DistrictThe Eastern Lancaster County School District is a school district in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is a member of Lancaster–Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13.-Schools:* Brecknock Elementary School – Denver, Pennsylvania...
- Elizabethtown AreaElizabethtown Area School DistrictThe Elizabethtown Area School District is a school district in the Northwest corner of suburban Lancaster County, Pennsylvania that serves Elizabethown Borough and the townships of Conoy, and West Donegal, as well as the North and West part of Mount Joy Township...
- Ephrata AreaEphrata Area School DistrictThe Ephrata Area School District is a midsized, suburban, public school district located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Ephrata Area School District encompasses approximately 44 square miles. According to 2000 federal census data, it serves a resident population of 30,458...
- HempfieldHempfield School DistrictThe Hempfield School District is a school district of 7218 students educated in 10 schools by 420 teachers in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is a member of Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13...
- Lampeter-StrasburgLampeter-Strasburg School DistrictThe Lampeter-Strasburg School District is a school district in rural and suburban Lancaster County, Pennsylvania that serves the borough of Strasburg, as well as Strasburg and West Lampeter Townships...
- LancasterSchool District of LancasterThe School District of Lancaster is a large, urban school district of 11,300 students educated in 19 schools in central Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Established in 1836, it is the second oldest school district in the state. School District of Lancaster encompasses approximately 11 square miles....
- Manheim CentralManheim Central School District-Athletics:Manheim Central currently has teams for the following sporting events:* Baseball* Basketball * Bowling* Cross-country* Field Hockey* Football* Golf* Rifle* Soccer * Softball* Swimming* Tennis...
- Manheim TownshipManheim Township School DistrictManheim Township School District is a suburban, public school district of over 5,000 students in nine schools located in Manheim Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The district is well known in the Lancaster County region for its academic achievement, popular quiz bowl team, and performing...
- Penn ManorPenn Manor School DistrictThe Penn Manor School District is a large, rural, public school district located in southern in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The Penn Manor School District encompasses approximately 110 square miles. According to 2000 federal census data, it serves a resident population of 37,942. In 2009, the...
- Pequea ValleyPequea Valley School DistrictThe Pequea Valley School District is a school district of 1927 students educated in 5 schools by 123 teachers in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in the United States...
- SolancoSolanco School DistrictSolanco School District is in the southern end of Lancaster County , Pennsylvania. There are currently seven schools in Solanco: four elementary, two middle/junior high and one high school.-District profile:School Colors – Black and Gold...
- WarwickWarwick School DistrictWarwick School District is located in Lititz, Pennsylvania. The school district has a superintendent, assistant superintendent and a business manager. It serves Elizabeth Township, Warwick Township, and Lititz Borough...
.
There is also one charter school, the La Academia Charter School.
Additionally, Lancaster County has a federated library system with 14 member libraries, three branches and a bookmobile. The Library System of Lancaster County
Library System of Lancaster County
The Library System of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania is a federated system with 14 member libraries, three branches and a bookmobile; it serves 490,562 residents. LSLC was established in April 1987 to provide well-coordinated, countywide services and cooperative programs to assist member libraries...
was established in April 1987 to provide well-coordinated countywide services and cooperative programs to assist member libraries in meeting the diverse needs of its community residents. The Board of Lancaster County Commissioners appoints the Library System of Lancaster County's seven-member board of directors. The System is an agent of the Commonwealth which supported Pennsylvania and The County of Lancaster.
Sports
Before the Barnstormers, Lancaster was the home of the Lancaster Red RosesLancaster Red Roses
The Lancaster Red Roses baseball team, originally known as the Maroons, changed its name at the start of the 1906 season during a bitter match with the York, Pennsylvania-based White Roses. Some sources indicate that the rival teams were named for the opposing factions in England's historic Wars of...
, which played from 1906 to about 1930, and from 1932 to 1961. In 2005, the Lancaster Barnstormers joined the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. The Barnstormers are named after the "barnstorming
Barnstorm (sports)
Barnstorming in athletics refers to sports teams or individuals that travel to various locations, usually small towns, to stage exhibition matches....
" players who played exhibition games in the county. Their official colors are red, navy blue, and khaki, the same as those of the Red Roses. This franchise won their first league championship in 2006, only their second season. They have revived the old baseball rivalry between Lancaster and nearby York
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
, called the War of the Roses, when the York Revolution
York Revolution
The York Revolution is an American professional baseball team based in York, Pennsylvania. It is a member of the Freedom Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent league not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
started their inaugural season in 2007.
The Women's Premier Soccer League expanded to Lancaster for the 2008 season, with the Lancaster Inferno. The WPSL is a FIFA-recognized women's league. The Inferno is owned by the Pennsylvania Classics organization and play their home games at the Hempfield High School stadium in Landisville
Salunga-Landisville, Pennsylvania
Salunga-Landisville is a census-designated place in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States with a zip code of 17538. The population was 4,771 at the 2000 census. The name "Salunga" comes from the nearby Chiquesalunga Creek, which in turn is derived from the Lenape "Chiquesalunga", meaning...
. The Inferno's colors are orange, black, and white.
Amateur teams
Since 2004, the amateur Lancaster Lightning footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team of the North American Football League has played at Pequea Valley High School's
Pequea Valley School District
The Pequea Valley School District is a school district of 1927 students educated in 5 schools by 123 teachers in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in the United States...
football stadium in Kinzers.
Lancaster is also the home of the Dutchland Derby Rollers (DDR), a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA.) Founded in 2006, The Dutchland Rollers boast 2 travel teams, the All-Stars and the Blitz. Both rosters play teams from neighboring leagues, though it is the Dutchland All-Stars that compete for national ranking. Their home rink is Overlook Activities Center, and their colors are orange and black.
Former teams
From 1946 to 1980, a professional basketball team known as the Lancaster Red RosesLancaster Red Roses (basketball)
The Lancaster Red Roses were a professional basketball team based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. From 1946 to 1949 and from 1953 to 1955, they played in the Eastern Professional Basketball League, of which the Red Roses were one of the six original teams. The Red Roses also played briefly as the...
(as well as the Lancaster Rockets and the Lancaster Lightning) played in the Continental Basketball Association
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
.
See also
- Crystal Park, PennsylvaniaCrystal Park, PennsylvaniaCrystal Park is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Crystal Park’s entrance is located on the intersection of First and Crystal streets. It is encased by First Street on the south, Reo Avenue on the west and Rieker Avenue on the north and east....
- List of municipal authorities in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
- List of Lancaster County covered bridges
- List of Pennsylvania films and television shows
- List of people from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
- Red Rose Transit AuthorityRed Rose Transit AuthorityThe Red Rose Transit Authority is a transit agency serving Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. RRTA is headquartered in downtown Lancaster.RRTA has routes both within Lancaster city, and between Lancaster and other areas of the county. RRTA coordinates a Paratransit service, Red Rose Access, which is...
External links
- [ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/BPR_pdf_files/Maps/GHS/Roadnames/lancaster_GHSN.PDF Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Map of Lancaster County showing city, boroughs, townships, and unincorporated villages (PDF)]